Spring Has Come For That Girl With No Sex Appeal
by momoirousagichan
Summary: Kijima said Kyoko's dating Hikaru, which surprised Ren because he's been shacked with her as Cain, who's just mad because Sho called... and then there's Reino.
1. Chapter 1

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter One**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon for beta-reading

**Dedications: **Bloody_Rose021 I know you're busy and won't be reading this, but whatever. :D This story wouldn't have been possible without your encouragement and support for the last two fics.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 17 Days Before White Day (February 25)**

_Between 8:00 PM and 9:30 PM_

"So, Kijima-kun," Ishibashi Hikaru cheerfully segued the Yappa Kimagure Rock guest to the reason he appeared on the show. "The last episode of Dark Moon will be airing tomorrow, won't it?"

"Yeah," Kijima Hidehito-san nodded. "The last episode is definitely going to be full of surprises for the fans of the show."

"Oh, come on," Ishibashi Yuusei-san interjected. "There has to be more to tell than just that."

He can't say it, Mogami Kyoko firmly thought as Bo walked towards the interview area of the stage with a cup of tea for Kijima-san.

Dark Moon, through its second half, slightly deviated from the original (Tsukigomori) in order to draw more emotion and drama into the series. The last episode was going to be the culmination of all that. Cast members who participated in the round of promotions for it were asked to keep answers as vague as possible when asked. Tsuruga-san and Momose-san did that when they appeared in a talk show in Fuji last night. She did it when she appeared in an afternoon talk show in ATV earlier. She was sure that Kijima-san would do the same thing.

And Kijima-san did. "Well, let me assure everyone that it's where everything will finally come undone," he said with an easy laugh. "You'll find out when you watch tomorrow."

"At least tell us if Oohara Airi-san will be appearing a lot more on the last episode," Ishibashi Shin'ichi-san said.

"Shin'ichi-kun's a big fan of hers," Ishibashi Yuusei-san interjected. "I'm more on the Momose Itsumi-san fan club."

"Oh?" Kijima-san's eyes lit up at the change of topic.

Typical, Kyoko wryly thought as Bo approached the foursome. Kijima-san did like girls. A lot. She remembered how he would flirt around with a lot of them. Co-stars, crew members and on-lookers alike.

"Then, what about you, Hikaru-san?" Kijima-san eagerly asked. "Whose fan club are you on?"

"Oh, he likes Kyoko-chan," Yuusei-san flippantly answered.

Bo stopped in his tracks just as he stood between Hikaru-san's chair and the couch where Kijima-san and turned to the Kimagure Rock host.

Hikaru-san what? she thought as she stared her little chicken head at him. She knew that Ishibashi onii-sans watched Dark Moon because of her, but there was no way in hell any of them would ever find anything appealing about that demon of an ojou-sama, Mio.

Hikaru-san's face looked flushed as he looked back at her and swallowed. He recovered quickly enough and cheerfully answered. "But all three of us are fans of Kyoko-chan!" Then he gestured towards Bo and added. "Even Bo is a fan, right?"

No way! Kyoko thought wildly. Even if she was proud of the Mio she created for the drama, she still liked Mizuki's character much better! She wanted to cross her forearms as a negative, but her hands were occupied holding the tea tray so her only option was to balance the tray with one hand and produced a thumbs-up sign with the other.

Shin'ichi-san let out a mutter about "a waste" of an "opening" for Hikaru-san.

"Isn't it weird, Kijima-san?" Yuusei-san let out a small laugh. "Thinking about being a fan of the evil one?"

Of course it was! Kyoko thought as Bo set the tea in front of Kijima-san then moved to the side of the stage to prepare for the next segment. Mio was not meant to be liked.

"No..." Kijima-san answered thoughtfully. "Hikaru-san may be on to something there..."

She stopped walking and turned to peer curiously at the actor. What did he mean by that?

"I never saw her at the Dark Moon set because she was already Mio by then," Kijima-san leaned over conspiratorially at the boys like it was a secret he was saying not in front of a live audience. "But have you seen her in the promo for her new drama? She's a real babe there. She's twice as mature and twice as beautiful there. Have you seen her like that, Hikaru-san?"

Hikaru-san paused for a second because gushing out, "Yeah...~"

"Really?" Yuusei-san asked. "You have?"

"When?" Shin'ichi-san seconded.

Yeah! Kyoko wanted to cry out. When?

"Psst..." A hiss from the side of the stage caught Kyoko's attention. "Oi, Bo." It was the props master and he was lifting the basket to inform her that the Information Egg segment was next.

Kyoko marched towards the stage's wings and took the eggs.

"Give it two more minutes," the stage manager instructed.

"...when you see her there," Kijima-san continued, "you really want to see her like that in the flesh."

What the hell? Kyoko thought in surprise. They were still talking about her?

"Can I bring the eggs over now?" she asked darkly. Why are they still talking about her?

"In a while, Bo," the prop master waved his hand. "We still want to hear about how you look twice as mature and twice as beautiful."

* * *

_A little after 10:00 PM_

"Just pick it up here same time next week," the nice lady in TBM Studio's laundry and storage department said as Kyoko took the pick-up form off the desk.

"Thank you very much," Kyoko bowed before heading back to the Kimagure Rock studio's dressing rooms to change and get her things.

What a waste, she thought in disgust as she discarded her shirt and sweat pants and put on a cute top and short floral skirt. She really liked the ensemble when she bought it. She'd barely worn it for the day and it's going to LME's laundry once she takes it off in the trailer for her transformation as Setsuka Heel.

It'd been a few days since she assumed the role of Cain Heel's little sister. The adjustment to the character was hard at first, but she and Tsuruga-san managed to build a decent rapport as Setsuka and Cain Heel. Apart from sudden weirdness from her brother, her adjustment has been OK. Considering how he hasn't NG-ed or thrown her out yet, she must be doing a pretty decent job at it.

She sighed. She just wished it would be easier on her schedule. Balancing three characters with Natsu and Mio was complicated enough, but she had a hell of a time making excuses to Tsuruga-san tonight without telling him that it was for Kimagure Rock. At least Dark Moon ended their shoot a few days ago.

Kyoko stepped out of the dressing room and looked at the wall clock. It was already a little past ten. Cain-nii-san was already waiting for her at the hotel. He ended his work at nine.

As she walked down the hall, she started thinking about what to prepare for a light dinner. When she turned the corner, she bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," she frantically bowed and apologized. "I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko froze in her bowing position at the familiar voice. Slowly, she lifted her head. "Kiji...ma-san? Wh-what are you doing here?"

"I was a guest in Kimagure Rock," he explained. "Now, I'm just looking for my manager. What are you doing here?"

She straightened up and tried to think of an excuse. "I-I'm running an errand," she said. She never really got to know Kijima-san in Dark Moon, but there was still no way she was going to let him find out about Bo - things like that tend to go around. It was show business after all. And if he found out, it would only be a matter of time before Tsuruga-san or Shotaro found out. That was a big no-no.

Kijima-san looked at her from head to toe. "At ten in the evening? At the Kimagure Rock studio?" he asked dubiously.

"B-Bridge Rock and I come from the same section at the same agency," Kyoko stuttered. "They're my senpai." When Hikaru-san turned the corner from the end of the long hallway, she added, "Hikaru-san is my senpai."

"So you're here for Hikaru-san?" Kijima-san's eyes widened.

"Yup!" she nodded. "Ah! There he is right now!" She quickly moved towards her safe haven and called out, "Hikaru-san!"

Hikaru-san's face lit up and let out a smile. "Kyoko-chan," he said. "Let's go to the stage first. The producer's going to make an announcement about the super-secret anniversary episode."

"Alright," she nodded eagerly. Then she turned to Kijima-san and excused herself. "See you tomorrow at the Dark Moon viewing party, Kijima-san."

"OK," Kijima-san nodded. "See you."

Kyoko let out a breath of relief.

"You need to be careful of his type, Kyoko-chan," Hikaru-san said. "I mean, don't get me wrong. He's pretty nice and all, but I hear he's a real playboy."

In the months they've worked together in Dark Moon, she knew that he was, but "I think I'm OK," she laughed. "I don't think I'm his type."

"Oh, come on, don't put yourself down," Hikaru-san said. "You're really cute, you know. And I saw the Box 'R' promo too. Kijima-san was right. You are twice as mature and twice as beautiful."

"Really?" Her face lit up. "I'm so happy! That's exactly the kind of Natsu I wanted to bring out!"

"That's good then," Hikaru-san smiled. Then he averted his gaze a little bit. "So anyway, Kyoko-chan... The guys and I are going to have a late dinner after the announcement. Do you want to come with us?"

He always asked this every week after every live shoot. Out of all those time, Kyoko could count with her fingers the times she went along after considering her schedule for the next day. Now was no different.

"Sorry, not tonight," she apologetically smiled. Tsuruga-san was probably waiting for her already. "I have to meet with someone at home." The hotel was pretty much home. For the next two weeks.

"Oh, you have a relative who came over?"

"Yeah..." She smiled. Cain Heel was her character's brother. "Something like that. The stay's actually pretty long. About two weeks and some days." She was really saying too much, but she was always at ease talking to Hikaru-san about work.

"Then," Hikaru-san said. "If it's two weeks and a couple of days, would you be free by the 14th?"

"The 14th?" Kyoko thought. Cain Heel's last day on the set was on the 12th. Cain and Setsu were scheduled to check out of the hotel on the 13th.

"Well, I know it's early, but your schedule's getting busier and busier so we might as well schedule it ahead of time," Hikaru-san explained. "The guys and I want to take you out on White Day."

"Eh?" Kyoko was stunned. Then she was flustered. "No! That's OK. There's really no need to return the favor. I only gave the chocolates to you guys because-"

"Kyoko-chan," Hikaru-san firmly interrupted. "We weren't expecting to get chocolates from you on Valentine's Day, so we were really happy when we did. When you gave it to us, you said that you like giving them to people you're grateful to so we'd like to take you out to return the feeling." Then he smiled. "So if you're free, just say yes and we'll get Toyokawa-san to clear our schedule for the evening."

Kyoko was surprised. No one has every given her anything on White Day. Of course, back then she only gave honmei chocolates to Shotaro and seeing him was enough of a reward on White Day, even if he never thought about giving her anything, she thought in disgust. The Ishibashi onii-sans were happy with her giri chocolates, which were a mere token of appreciation from her, and they want to return the favor. She never thought anyone would be happy about getting them. She was absurdly happy; she really couldn't help but smile and say,

"Yes!"

* * *

_Some time between 11:30 PM and 12:00 AM_

Ren impatiently tapped his fingers on his thighs as he sat in the car waiting for Mogami-san to get out of the trailer.

He was already dressed and on stand-by as Cain Heel and has been been since 10:00 in the evening. She arrived nearing 11:30, saying that she had something come up with work.

He knew he couldn't really complain. Apart from the fact that the delay was because of work, her involvement with Cain Heel was not something she was getting paid or recognition for. It'd been several days since Mogami-san was recruited by the President to act as his little sister, Setsu, as part of her Love Me Section duties.

Actually, he couldn't understand why he was so restless. It wasn't like he was sleepy or hungry or in dire need to go to the bathroom. He just wanted to be with his little sister, he justified.

His thought were interrupted when a knock came through the car window. He looked up and opened the door.

"I'm back, nii-san!" Setsu cheerfully greeted as he stepped out of the car.

"You're late," he pouted as he slammed the door shut.

"It's not like I deprived a _hungry _man of his dinner, you know," she sarcastically said. She especially emphasized the word 'hungry'.

Cain glared as her and pinched her cheek. Hard. "Are you trying to sass me again with that smart mouth?"

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- The title has been tweaked out on the archives because I exceeded the word count for titles by three measly characters. Out there, it will known as "Spring Has Come For That Girl With No Sex Appeal." In here, it's going to be "Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal."

- If the concept is White Day is foreign to you, in a nutshell, it's a day when people who received something from someone on Valentine's Day give something back. It's a tradition done in Japan.

- This is my first attempt to write a proper romance. That will probably not happen considering my Skip Beat! fanfiction writing history. As for the length, it'll be 15 chapters tops.

- The first few chapters are going to be short. They will start getting longer as more things happen as Ren/Cain, Hikaru, Sho, Reino and Kijima do more things. Also, if you would notice, there is a day stated at the start of each chapter. Yes, there will be time skips too. So please take note of the dates. Oi vey.

- Anyway, reviews are appreciated but not expected. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Two**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon for beta-reading. Bloody_Rose021 for some additional edits.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 16 Days Before White Day (February 26)**

_Almost 2:00 AM_

With the day's light laundry in her arms, Setsuka Heel stepped out of the shower in a silk slip dress and stuffed them in the washer/dryer. The heavy garments were placed in a laundry bag.

Her lateness in coming in delayed their evening ritual of Cain-nii-san's bath-dinner-Setsu's bath, but the routine remained. It was a welcomed relief for her since the pattern made her feel at ease since this was the first time she'd ever lived with a man since she lived with Shotaro. And Tsuruga-san at that.

Once she saw to the chore, she turned to Cain-nii-san and scolded, "Nii-san, it's almost two in the morning. Put that paper down and go to sleep." She skimmed through the script a few days ago and knew how scary his role was. It wasn't nice reading before heading for bed.

"I'm just reading through the schedule," Cain-nii-san answered as he sat on the bed. "The Boss handed this to me earlier saying that he negotiated some changes with the director."

"Changes?" she tilted her head, walked up to him and plopped down beside him. Normally, she would stand and wait for him to read it to her, but Setsu on auto-pilot found it natural to invade her brother's space. Since Tsuruga-san never NG-ed her the first time, she just kept on taking it one step further each time just to find out what her boundaries were. Of course, to a baka aniki like Cain Heel, there were no boundaries with Setsu.

She leaned forward to peek at the list and was relieved to see the revised schedule included considerations for her Box "R" shoot and time for Kimagure Rock, making sure that there was time for Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko to keep their work obligations. The list only had Cain Heel's schedule, but obviously she knew her own schedule, and they were neatly integrated into it.

In fact, Cain-nii-san's schedule was loose. It allowed him two or three hours at a time on the set. The longest day he'll be shooting would be on the fifth where he's required to spend a full seven hours on set aside for the last two days that which will need them for the whole days. Then she remembered how BJ and Mystery Actor X were supposed to generate hype for the movie because of his mysterious nature. It wouldn't be such a mystery if Cain-nii-san's costars started talking about how they got along with him.

At least she wouldn't have any problems with her schedule with Cain-nii-san. it would be unseemly if Setsu suddenly disappeared from his side because she had to rush to a Box "R" shoot or something.

"How about that?" he smiled and pointed at the list. "We have free time on the third from 4PM onwards," he turned to her and smiled. "What do you say we do something special and go exploring the city or something?"

The third... That was a Kimagure Rock Day.

"A-actually..." she stuttered. Then with a calmer voice, continued, "I'm the reason we have free time on the third."

"Oh," nii-san's shoulders slouched. "Too bad..."

Kyoko looked at him and froze.

It was that abandoned puppy look that made her feel like she was a mean person because she kicked Cain-nii-san aside! Instantly guilty, she looked at the schedule and pointed. "The eighth! The entire afternoon off! We can go out then!"

"No," Cain-nii-san sighed. "That's me." Meaning Tsuruga Ren has an appointment for that day.

For the next ten minutes, Setsu and Cain-nii-san tried to look for openings in their schedule. The two weeks were tighter than Kyoko originally though. The only options for them were...

"Either we go out til the wee hours of the morning or settle for my home cooking," Setsu sighed.

"That wouldn't be so bad, would it?"

"Yes, but you said that you wanted to do something special!" What's so special about being shacked up in a small hotel room, eating her cooking?

"OK," Cain-nii-san turned back to the piece of paper. "Setsu wants to do something special..." he muttered.

"No..." she corrected. "You want to do something special."

"Something special for Setsu..."

"Hey, are you listening?" she glared up at him.

"What about on the 13th?"

"The 13th?" she asked quizzically. "That's when we check out and go home!"

"We can always extend a day or two," he stated.

"Eh?" Extend for a day or... "Can we do that?"

"I don't have anything planned for the day. Do you?"

"No," she answered honestly. "But we can't extend our stay at the company's expense!" That would be wrong.

"I'm not saying that we do," Cain-nii-san argued. "It's not like I can't take you out myself."

Kyoko stared at Cain Heel and considered the possibilities. Her 13th was free, but it was absurd to have him take her out. On the 13th, they will go back to being Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko. They're not going to be Cain and Setsuka Heel anymore. Meaning, there was really no reason for them to go out. On the other hand, they were currently doing a scene and refusing him would mean another NG, which could ruin the dynamic she and Tsuruga-san had going already. So she really didn't have any choice, but to accept. "Alright," she answered. "But just on the 13th. I already have things to do on the 14th."

"Well, my other work starts on the 14th too," Cain-nii-san answered. Then he gave her one of his rare smiles. "It's a date then."

A date? Kyoko raised an eyebrow at him. Normal brother and sisters don't go out on da- Oh, wait, who the heck was she kidding? she had the afterthought. Cain and Setsu weren't normal.

* * *

_Fashionably late 9:00-ish_

The day went well enough after he and Setsu went to bed.

They went their separate ways after breakfast. She reported to her high school to pick up some schoolwork in the morning and her Box "R" shoot in the afternoon. Ren attended a script reading for a new drama and was interviewed for a women's magazine.

By nine that evening, he arrived to the Dark Moon Viewing Party with Yashiro-san.

The hotel's function room for the party was already full of people when he stepped in, which was about right since the drama won't start until ten. By automatic pilot, Ren scanned the room and found Mogami-san standing and laughing with Momose-san and Oohara-san.

He was surprised when he saw her outfit. It was a little bit of Mogami-san's personality mixed with a hint of Natsu. She did say that her Box "R" shoot would end a little before the party started. She wore a short jersey dress with heels. He hair was neatly parted on the side. She also wore make-up that was obviously not stage make-up. Her bright eyes stood out, her cheekbones were emphasized and her lips were dewy.

Their eyes met when she distractedly looked around while Oohara-san said something. Then she excused herself and came up to them.

"Good evening, Tsuruga-san, Yashiro-san," she bowed.

"Good evening, Mogami-san," he greeted back. "You look very..."

"The soup and salad they're serving tonight look very good," she interrupted.

"Huh?"

"We're going to eat, right?" she asked with a smile. "I haven't yet. I was waiting for you."

"O-Of course," Ren answered with an uneasy smile. May it be Setsuka Heel or Mogami Kyoko, she always made sure he ate.

"Ah, Kyoko-san!" Director Ogata Hiroaki called out to her a few feet away. They turned to him and he waved her towards where he stood.

"Excuse me for a moment," she bowed to Ren.

"No problem."

"Kyoko-chan looks really pretty tonight," Yashiro-san commented with a devilish grin. "Your face is slipping by the way."

Ren frowned childishly. He didn't even get to tell her that. He ignored what Yashiro-san said and marched towards the bar.

"Hey there, Tsuruga-kun," Kijima Hidehito-san greeted as he approached him. He was surrounded by Okakura-san and other actors in Dark Moon. Everyone followed suit and greeted him.

"Good evening, Kijima-san," Ren greeted back. "Everyone..."

"So anyway," Okakura-san continued the conversation the men were having before Ren approached. "Kijima-kun, you're really saying that you're giving up on Kyoko-chan?"

The mention of her name perked Ren's ears. With a sideways glance, he eavesdropped on the conversation. Yashiro-san wasn't so subtle. His manager fully turned towards the group.

"I wasn't _that _interested in the first place," Kijima-san san shrugged.

"Oh really?" one of the guys said. "Weren't you the one who was throwing fits about wanting to see Kyoko-chan in her new drama?"

"Weren't you interested to see her when you heard about it too?" Kijima-san shot back. "I mean, look at her," he gestured towards her direction and saw her as she let out a cute little sneeze. "Ah-hah... I really thought I might be able to see the full mature beautiful version tonight too."

"She looks pretty cute tonight," Okakura-san said.

"We already know that she's capable of being cute," Kijima-san said. Then he turned to Ren. "Right, Tsuruga-kun?"

"Mmm?" Ren non-committally made a sound as he reached for beer.

"I tried to ask for her number earlier," Kijima-san crossed his arms. "She asked why so I told her that I'd like to see her. Then, she said that if I wanted to see her in an official capacity, everything has to go through her agency. So I told her that it wasn't in an official capacity. Then she asked me that if it wasn't for official business, what other reason could there be?"

Ren let out a smirk as the men laughed. That sounded like Mogami-san.

"I really thought she was joking, but she wasn't," Kijima-san sighed. "It's a bother and it's troublesome for a girl I'm only interested in seeing, not dating. She's just a kid. I wonder if she acts like that when she's with her boyfriend."

"Eh? Kyoko-chan has a boyfriend?"

Ren raised his eyebrow. What? Kijima-san wasn't exactly a trustworthy source since he was never that close to Mogami-san in the months they've worked together.

"Ishibashi Hikaru," Kijima-san answered knowingly. "I was a guest at Kimagure Rock last night and she was there after the show to meet up with him."

"What?" a peep came out of Yashiro-san.

Ishibashi Hikaru? Ren racked his brain. He was part of that idol group in LME. He met him once in a while at LME, but they hadn't worked together yet. He also knew he worked in Yappa Kimagure Rock - a fact he only knew because the poster that hung around LME had the chicken on it.

"I was looking for my manager after the show and bumped into her," Kijima-san continued. Then he gave Mogami-san an appraising look. "They look pretty cute together. Like a junior high couple. Anyway, from the looks of it, they've probably been going out for a while. She waltzes in and out of the studio as she pleases and he lets her in the show's close-door meetings."

Mogami-san? Ren turned towards her and watched her as she nodded at what Director Ogata was telling her.

She's... going out with Ishibashi Hikaru-san? Since when? What happened to that fear of love? Of guys?

So, did that mean that she wasn't really working last night?

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Well, this is another uninformative chapter. Nothing much has happened yet because BJ's shooting hasn't started yet - that won't happen until the next chapter. I'm a little overwhelmed by the expectation reader have with this fanfic. Crap, what did I get myself into? Just a little tidbit, this fanfic is a compilation of little things I thought about Skip Beat! as I forced them together into one story. Keep the expectation to a low. The ending may not be what you think it is. I already wrote a "...and Kyoko and Ren and her demons live happily ever after..." fic.

- Sorry about the length of this chapter - even I'm unsatisfied that this is actually less than 2,000 words. Like I said (did I?) on the first chapter, each chapter is one day. Technically, to make things much easier for me to write, I've literally used one chapter from 12:00 midnight to 11:59 in the evening. If I don't use that, I will get really confused writing it and it will defeat the purpose of writing a countdown of how many days there is before White Day.

- Again, I'd appreciate any feedback, but not expecting them.**  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Three**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon for beta-reading plus Bloody_Rose021 for some additional edits.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 15 Days Before White Day (February 27)**

_Breakfast Time_

Ren stared at the food Setsu spread out in front of him.

"And last..." Setsu cheerfully set down the last of her breakfast feast in front of him. "These."

He had a lot of things in his mind, from her dating Ishibashi Hikaru to concentrating on his first day on the set. Granted, the former was thought of more so than the latter, but first thing's first... "You're not really expecting me to eat all these, are you?"

"It's your first day," Setsu stared at him dryly. "You need your strength."

"But.. meat?"

"Just eat your breakfast, nii-san." She ignored his complaints. "You're not going to be acting much today and will be relying on your other skill set to complete the stunts. You need the energy."

"I don't need food for that," Cain moved towards her and started ruffling Setsu's hair. "I have my good luck charm with me."

"Nii-san," she frowned up at him. "Your physical well-being is completely different from your spiritual well-being. Would you just stop being difficult and eat your breakfast?"

He was abut to give a Cain-like retort when it was interrupted by a phone ringing. It was obviously not his ringtone and Setsu walked up to night stand and flipped her phone open. Her face immediately lit up and she let out an excited squeal. Ren suddenly wondered if it was Ishibashi Hikaru-san who was calling and wondered why was he calling so early in the morning.

He wanted to ask her about it last night, but they got in at three in the morning and she was tired that she fell asleep straight away.

She raised her hand to him to indicate that the call was for Mogami-san. She pressed to answer and placed the phone to her ear, cheerfully saying, "Hello? Moko-san?"

Ren relaxed his shoulders.

The caller was Kotonami Kanae-san, Mogami-san's best friend. Ren didn't know why he got all worked up. Many people had Mogami-san's phone number, it's not just that guy who could call her.

Last night in bed, Ren did a quick search on the mobile web for Ishibashi Hikaru and learned that he was 21 (like him) in LME (like him) and liked eating junk food. When asked to describe his dream girl, the only thing that was missing was the name.

It was no wonder Mogami-san didn't see him as a man, he thought, depressed. She had someone else.

Yashiro-san was right. If he kept turning a blind eye, someone else really would steal her away.

He didn't really have any reason to believe what Kijima-san said, but he didn't have any reason not to believe him either. Especially since Mogami-san was really somewhere else two nights ago.

"Huh?" Mogami-san exclaimed. "You want to sleep over?" She looked excited. "Tonight?" She looked ecstatic. As soon as she said it, her face fell. "I... I'm sorry, Moko-san," she said miserably. "You can't tonight. In fact, I'm going to be busy for the next two weeks on evenings...Yes, it has something to do with my 'Something Dangerous' assignment."

Ren looked up in surprise. Kotonami-san knew about the assignment to look after him? Did Mogami-san tell her about it? That was impossible. After the way she reacted when the President scolded her about telling Yashiro-san, there was no way she'd do that. Also, she can keep a secret. In fact, she's been able to keep her boyfriend a secret too!

And why was he called the "Something Dangerous" assignment?

"Really?" she laughed at whatever it was Kotonami-san said. "Amamiya-san's appearing for her 'Something Fun' assignment on the second." Then she changed the topic. "Anyway, about meeting. When are you going to be available with the exception of evenings?" She cocked her head to the side. "On the third?" She walked over to the fridge and looked through the schedule she posted there so they can look at it whenever they needed. She hummed as she ran through it. "I have free time on the afternoon of the third. Are you free then?" She paused then smiled widely. "Great! I'll be at TBM Studios by four so we can meet at the cafeteria or something."

If it wasn't for the chicken, he wouldn't know that Kimagure Rock was shot at TBM Studios. With the kind of workload he knew Mogami-san had, he knew she did nothing that involved TBM. And the third was a night Kimagure Rock was shooting based on the show schedule he read through last night. Was time on her schedule made to accommodate her meetings with Ishibashi-san? Considering that she was in the Love Me Section and how the President can be, it was a possibility.

"Alright, I'll see you then, Moko-san~" she happily ended the call before hanging up the phone.

"You're meeting up with Kotonami-san? he asked as she sat back down on the table.

"Yes!" She was starry-eyed. "She wants help with her new role in a historical drama where she plays a lady from a samurai family. Can you believe it?" she excitedly asked. "She wants my help on the proper decorum of a traditional lady! I never thought she would ask me for help with something like that. She's such a great actress after all."

"Maybe it's because you're very old-fashioned too," Ren let out an uneasy laugh. If it was anything like that, Mogami-san was the epitome of perfect manners of a traditional Japanese lady. Kotonami-san couldn't have picked a better teacher. Mogami-san, after all, was his image of what Japanese girls should be.

"There's nothing wrong with being old-fashioned," she muttered. "It's like you're saying that there's something wrong with me."

"I'm not saying there is," Ren answered. Then he said, "Question."

She looked up at him expectantly.

"Why am I called the 'Something Dangerous' assignment?"

Mogami-san shrugged. "The President was the one who nicknamed it."

That was enough of an answer. No elaborations needed. It was the President after all. "Who is Amamiya-san?"

"The new member of the Love Me Section," she answered. "She joined us a few weeks ago."

There was a new member and he didn't know about it?

He was about to ask why she and Kotonami-san were meeting at TBM Studios when she said, "Nii-san, it's not nice to gossip about other people. It's not like we know these people we're talking about. Just eat your breakfast so we can be on our way."

That ended their conversation as Mogami-san and Tsuruga Ren.

Then, Setsu started talking about mundane things typical of a conversation between Cain and Setsu. He would answer her in a way typical of Cain. When he went into character, he easily forgot about Tsuruga Ren's problems.

But, lingering at the back of his mind, he already knew that his broken heart wouldn't quiet down. Normally, he would have resignedly accepted that she found someone she was happy with - someone normal and easy-going who was a calming presence to her volatile nature. The mere fact that it wasn't him annoyed him so much that he didn't care if it made him look stupid, messy, or pathetic. Being angry at her would just wound and scare her away. He wasn't going to let Mogami-san be with anyone but him in the end.

* * *

_Sometime between Breakfast and Lunch_

"Eh?" Yashiro Yukihito exclaimed. "You want Ren to be a guest at Yappa Kimagure Rock?"

"Yes," Matsushima-san answered through the phone. "For the one-year anniversary episode at the first week of April. Bridge Rock wants him on it really badly. Come to think of it, Ren should have been on a long time ago since the show's practically an LME production. Now that Ren's schedule has mellowed down a bit, we can get him on."

This was bad... Yukihito thought as Matsushima-san continued to talk about Ren's freed up time because of his stint as Cain Heel. Normally, he wouldn't have any problem with it since Kimagure Rock was the Number One TV Variety in the country, but putting Ren-san From The Country Of Darkness on stage with Ishibashi Hikaru-san without a script in front of a live audience would be like pitting a lion against a hamster.

"...Anyway, Sawara-san's with me right now," Matsushima-san continued. "He says that since Ren's with Mogami-kun a lot right now, she can speak on Bridge Rock's behalf to convince him if there's any problem."

How cruel... Yashiro felt it in place of Ren. Show business was never a kind industry, even to someone of Ren's stature. He could just imagine it...

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko-chan would innocently and cheerfully tell him. "Could you help out my boyfriend's show and appear on the anniversary episode?"

Then Ren will give her one of those scary smiles he had when his temper's really boiling up and say, "Sure, Mogami-san." just before pushing off the window of their hotel room.

"Aaaaah~!" Kyoko-chan would shout as she fell.

"No!" Yukihito cried out. Then with a cough, he continued with a calmer voice. "There's really no need to put Kyoko-chan through that."

"Through what?" Matsushima-san dryly asked. "She's just going to ask him."

"I'll tell him," Yukihito volunteered. "We'll be seeing each other the day after tomorrow anyway. I'm sure he'll have no problem with it." If anything else, he could always rely on Ren's professionalism and ability as an actor to sit through an hour with Kyoko-chan's boyfriend. He'd been able to smile his way through much worse (Fuwa Sho)."He will obviously be glad to appear on the show. I can contact him now if you need an answer now."

"No need for that," Matsushima-san said. "Ren's doing his 'other work' right now so we don't want to bother him unless absolutely necessary."

Yukihito needed a few minutes of silence after hanging up before it all sank in.

What the heck was he going to do? he thought in mental anguish. He'd managed to save Kyoko-chan's life, but... who would save him?

* * *

_After lunch_

"Can you hold onto this, Setsu?" Cain-nii-san handed her his phone.

"Sure, nii-san," Setsu nodded as she took it. Normally, she would wonder about it because it was a personal item, but she herself was carrying her own phone because they needed it for their other work. And given Cain-nii-san's messy and disorganized personality, it wasn't strange for him to forget leaving it in his dressing room when he went out for a smoke break after lunch. She slipped the phone into the black leather purse that nii-san got for her. She knew that she didn't need to answer his phone anyway. He never did whenever when he was at work.

"I'm off," Cain-nii-san announced.

It was already after lunch on the movie set. Cain-nii-san has already done two dangerous stunts that involved a foot race and climbing down the side of a tall building. Kyoko's heart stopped each time, but Cain-nii-san did everything with ease. That still didn't stop Setsu from fussing over him after every stunt.

"Nii-san," she called just as he turned around.

"Mm?"

Setsu lifted herself on her toes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

He childishly demanded one earlier before the first stunt. She thought he was joking, but quickly dismissed it since they were already in the presence of people so she took it as something Setsu would naturally do. Of course, after doing it once, she felt that she had to do it every time he went to shoot a scene even if he didn't ask. Kyoko knew that it was something Cain-nii-san automatically expected. Besides, it was well within Setsu and Cain's abnormal relationship and when in a scene, Tsuruga-san once reminded her about the Actor's Rule Of The Heart, a kiss can be done as many times as needed.

"Good luck," Setsu smiled.

Cain-nii-san smiled and affectionately pinched her cheek.

Once he stepped onto the set, the stunt coordinators started attaching the harnesses and other safety equipment on him and the other actors as the stunt director gave instructions on the pace and the rundown of what should happen.

"That's her..." Setsu heard low vices from behind her. "That's Heel-san's little sister."

"She's like a hell hound who doesn't let anyone near Heel-san."

"I know," she heard another say with an annoyed tone. "She's so unfriendly. And kissing him every scene. I heard that the two of them were even holding hands when they arrived."

"But they're brother and sister, right? That's a normal thing."

"Normal if you're ten. Not when you're grown up like they are. It just makes them look weird."

It really wasn't normal, Kyoko thought. It wasn't even polite. And normally, she would be dying of embarrassment by now, but she and Cain-nii-san lived in a world of their own. They didn't really care about what other people thought about them as long as they had each other. She didn't even deign to give them any kind of acknowledgment and simply flipped her hair off her shoulder. Besides, she wasn't interfering with the shoot so no one could complain about her presence.

She felt a jolt when her phone vibrated from her purse.

She wasn't supposed to answer it, but she was waiting for a call from Sawara-san that she might be asked to help out with something for Kimagure Rock. She wasn't planning on answering her calls while she was acting as Setsu, but Tsuruga-san said she should. Unlike her, he had a manager to answer business calls and she shouldn't let opportunities pass. As long as she did it out of people's earshot when they were in character, it was fine.

Quietly, she slipped away from the set out of everyone's earshot and absently dug for her phone, flipping the phone and looked at the caller ID.

It wasn't her phone! She picked up the wrong phone. It was Tsuru-Cain-nii-san's phone and it had a really creepy wallpaper of her (as Setsu) asleep on the bed at the hotel. Her hair disheveled, the blanket down to her waist and one of the straps of her camisole slipping off her shoulder.

This was... she thought, as her hand shook.

This was definitely not how she slept! it was so undisciplined and messed up. Of course, she was used to sleeping on a futon on a tatami floor and the hotel room's fluffy, soft mattress was so comfortable that she could drown happily on it. Still, it gnawed on her dignity as a lady.

Moreover, when did Tsuruga-san think of doing this? It was so downright creepy that it was so... perfect for Cain-nii-san's weird obsession over Setsu. Had he really thought of the character that thoroughly already? Her own phone's wallpaper still had the default one because every wallpaper she had available wasn't suited for Setsu.

She had to have a Cain-nii-san wallpaper on her phone too! she thought wildly, feeling the challenge to play her character to perfection. An obsessive girl with a serious brother complex couldn't live without one!

Her phone vibrated from her purse again, dragging her back to the present. She dug into her purse again and opened it. "Unidentified caller." It was definitely Sawara-san. She picked up the call. "Yes... hello?"

Silence.

"Hello?" she repeated. Was the connection bad?

A deep breath came from the other line. "It's two weeks, one day, eight hours and twelve minutes before White Day. Don't think I'm not going to come for you."

Kyoko's face paled at the voice. It was definitely the same one from the Vain Day. No mistake...

It could only be the Beagle!

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Yes, we all know that Sho is the one who made the countdown phone calls to Kyoko but she doesn't know that. She believes that it's the denizen from hell.

- I hope that it didn't seem off about Setsu kissing Cain on the set. It seems pretty excessive, but that's pretty much what Cain and Setsu are all about anyway. So, why not?

- By the way, please don't expect that much scenes being played out by BJ. You'll read abut it soon enough, but there's going to be much. Apart from the fact that there's not much information about BJ and his movie that it's hard to write it, I also spent most of the writing time on Ren. And Sho. And everyone else.

- Again, reviews are appreciated but not expected.

- Next chapter: very short.


	4. Chapter 4

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Four**

**Acknowledgments:** Bloody_Rose021 for beta-reading

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 14-13 Days Before White Day (February 28 going to March 1)**

_Just a little after midnight  
_

It was the end of Cain's second day of the shoot.

It was midnight by the time he and Setsu returned to the hotel. Setsu prepared a quick and light dinner and they ate in relative silence. He really wasn't in the mood to talk. She tried to talk to him cheerfully about various things and he would answer as Cain would, but with much shorter and curt words so that she would quickly quiet down. He knew she was being discouraged by his drop in mood but he wished she would continue so that he would get distracted.

Today, he shot a scene that made him remember something about the past. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

The President was right though. When he couldn't move anymore, she'd pull him along. The strongest kind of talisman. She'd gotten him to move out before anyone noticed that Cain Heel had frozen on in the middle of the set.

Now that he was alone in the room while she was in the shower, everything that had happened today came back to him. He sat on the chair and slumped his shoulders. He could have stepped out for a smoke break, but he'd already ran out after finishing off the pack he had after doing that scene.

Then the phone rang. He looked up at the night stand, but didn't move at its beckoning. It was Mogami-san's ringtone so he couldn't answer it. Either way, it stopped after several seconds.

He leaned back against the chair and thought that it was a relief that tomorrow he would be living as Tsuruga Ren. It was a welcomed break. Otherwise-

Mogami-san's phone started ringing again. Then it stopped after a few seconds.

- Otherwise, he would end up becoming a depressed ball of darkness like he originally feared it would be. He wondered why the President designed Cain's schedule to be like-

Another ringing. It again stopped after a few seconds.

-like that. Maybe that was even the reason why the President placed the character of Setsuka Heel in-

Another ring.

He raised his head towards the night stand. That many phone calls in that span of time would constitute an emergency, wouldn't it? He stood up and walked over to the night stand.

Please God, he thought as he reached for the phone to answer. Don't let it be something that would require Mogami-san to leave him now.

He picked up the call but didn't say anything. It would be strange if a man answered her phone.

"It's one week, six days, twenty-three hours, and forty-eight minutes before White Day-"

Ren was so surprised by the strange message that he couldn't help but ask, "Who is this?"

There was a pause. Ren waited. And, in a voice that was more familiar to him, the caller shot back, "Who is _this_?"

"Fuwa?"

Another pause. The next time he spoke, "Tsuruga," it was in a growl. "What the hell are you doing with her?"

He was already in a foul mood. Having Fuwa harass Mogami-san was just asking for it. "What else would someone like me be doing with her at this hour?" he answered darkly. "I'm obviously in a hotel room, waiting for her to come out of the shower so we can go to bed. I certainly hope that you won't be interrupting us with such nonsensical calls."

A sense of satisfaction overcame him as Fuwa swore out very colorful words expletives before hanging up. He let out a self-satisfied smile before setting the phone down on the night stand and walking back to the chair. He was wallowing on the joys of his small victory that he was startled when the bathroom door opened and Mogami-san stepped out.

"Did my phone ring?" she asked as she stuffed the day's laundry into the machine.

"Yeah," he answered. "It was kind of persistent so I was about to answer it, but it suddenly stopped. Maybe the voice mail picked it up."

She looked annoyed for a split second, then relieved that Ren wondered if she has already received Fuwa's harassing phone calls. If she didn't, why wasn't she telling him?

The answer came pretty obviously to him. It was because she already had a much more important man in life right now. Did Ishibashi-san even know about her history with Fuwa? Would be able to protect her from it? Would he be able to forget it?

After setting the washer, she walked up to the night stand and ran through her call log. She looked extremely annoyed and muttered something Ren couldn't decipher. Then she shook her head animatedly and continued with the task. Ren was looking expectantly at her to tell him what was going one, but she didn't so.

Ren just slumped back on the chair. Then he decided that he needed to open the topic of Fuwa to her himself.

"Nii-san!"

He looked up in surprise and saw nothing except a flash.

When he recovered, he saw her looking at her phone and pouting. "This is so lame! I don't want to see my nii-san looking like a deer who jumped in the middle of the road that was about to meet his doom." Then she let out a mischievous smile and said, "I guess I'll be filing this under 'Lame Faces No One Will Ever See Except Setsu' folder."

"What..." he asked, looking at her blankly. "...are you doing?"

"I want to see my big brother's face every time I look at my phone," she explained distractedly as she pressed buttons on her phone. "I was planning to do this last night but I was so tired that I fell asleep."

"What?" He was suddenly confused.

"Ah! Again," Setsu smiled and aimed the phone at him again. "Something Cain-like. Like, brutish or something like that."

"You think I'm brutish?" Cain stood up and hauled her over his shoulder.

"What the hell!" Setsu balled her free hand into a fist and started pounding his back. "I'm your little sister. You're supposed to carry me in a fricking princess cradle! Not like a sack of rice."

He dumped her on his bed and crawled on top of her. "Maybe I'll show many faces only you will see," he said mischievously. Honestly, he was eager to do just that so that he could see the same kind of faces from her. Boyfriend or not.

Then her expression froze as she stared up at him. Ren braced himself for a careless rejection.

Instead, she raised her phone to his face and the flash that came much too close made him immobile for a couple of seconds. When he refocused his eyes on her, she stuck out her tongue. "Now you know how weird it feels to have people look at you from below." Then she turned her attention to the phone. "Aah-ha..." She sighed. "I guess this will just have to do for the meanwhile. My stupid nii-san had two shots and he wasn't able to produce a decent picture."

He was a professional actor and model. Her criticism stung his pride as both. "Do you know..." he frowned down at her. "...how many frames there are in one roll of film and how many rolls of films there are in one photo session?"

She let out a shriek when he lunged for her.

* * *

_Five Minutes Later_

"Tsu-Tsuruga-...san?" Kyoko said a few minutes later when she finally got up for air. Her hair was mussed, her cheeks were flushed and she was gasping for breath.

"What is it?" He asked as his lips moved over her neck down to her collarbone. "Mogami-san?" he huskily asked.

"This..." she uneasily said, "is my first time. Will you be... gentle with me?"

He looked up at her, met her eyes and let out a smirk. "We'll see..." he threatened as he pulled the covers over them.

"Kyaa~!"

"WHAT THE CRAP WAS THAT!" Fuwa Sho cried out in anger as he threw his mobile phone at the wall. Where the hell had his wild imagination taken him? 'Kyaa~!'? 'Kyaa~!'? There was no way in hell Kyoko would ever do that! Especially with some moron like Tsuruga. She wouldn't know if she was being hitted on.

They were actors, weren't they? he thought reasonably, calming down. They were obviously in a shoot and Tsuruga was being a jerk by thinking that he could play with her phone when he wanted. Of course they would be! They were shooting Dark Moon, weren't they?

"Sho!" Shoko-san excitedly came into the living room, holding her phone. "Asami-san invited us to a party! She's organizing a surprise congratulatory party for Ogata-san because the last episode of Dark Moon last night set a new record in TV broadcasting!"

Dark Moon ended shooting? Moreover, it wasn't even on the air anymore? Sho started to shake.

"Damn it!" He exploded, flipping the coffee table in his anger, shocking Shoko-san. "Screw them both!"

* * *

_Ten Minutes Later_

She fell asleep on his bed.

Setsu finally called uncle after several minutes of his relentless tickling, but couldn't muster the strength to get out of the bed. She said that she'd just catch her breath before going to her own bed. Several minutes passed and before Ren knew it, she was fast asleep.

It was like a dream come true and Ren knew it.

In her vulnerable and defenseless state, there were a lot of things that he could do that could either get her to become putty in his arms or be walked out on when she started hating him. However at that moment, the only thing he felt for her was great affection. It would be stupid to think that he'd ever consider not letting her into his life now, he thought as he put the blanket over her shoulders. She snuggled at the warmth it brought.

Now, he understood what the President meant about her being his talisman.

Even though he wouldn't ever let himself forget about all the sins of the past, she would be there to make sure he didn't become consumed by it. He was thankful that she got him to move after he became traumatized by the experience of drawing out his emotions from the past. She'd even managed to get him to forget about it. And after that tickling game that didn't even last five minutes, he hadn't thought about Fuwa and Ishibashi-san.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- OK, that was short and very uneventful. However, this is my favorite chapter and was actually the catalyst of this fanfic. This wouldn't have been written if not for this. Anyway, the next chapters will be longer because I've already established the roles being played out by each guy in this story - except for Reino. He won't be coming in until chapter seven. Sorry, fans of the denizen from hell.

- Thanks for staying with the story. I promise the next chapter will be more eventful. I really appreciate the reviews being left. And as always, reviews are appreciated and really taken into consideration for future chapters, but not expected.

- Next chapter: Hikaru :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Five**

**Acknowledgments:** Bloody_Rose021 for beta-reading

**Dedications: **Deddinty. I read your review and thought, 'Crap.' :D

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 12 Days Before White Day (March 2)**

_1:46 PM_

"So would you like to join us?"

Amamiya Chiori politely smiled. "I'd love to, but I have a shoot to get to."

"Too bad," one of the idols from Akatoki Agency and fellow guest in Majisuka said. "But, we have your number. Maybe we can work with each other again soon."

She had just ended her shoot for Majisuka, a TV Variety show for Fuji TV that make celebrity guests go through stupid stunts that were borderline embarrassing. The only reason why she did it was because President Takarada placed an edict to suspend all of her acting activities when she agreed. She'd rather die first than not act.

It was annoying to admit, but she did enjoy it. A little. Especially when they asked her to-

She shook her head and scolded herself. That wasn't acting! But...

"_It's your chance to keep the lousy image of Yumika from sticking to you!_" her respected senpai, Kyoko-san said when they discussed their weird 'Something _' assignments from President Takarada.

Her eyes landed on the clock that was mounted on the wall and she started to walk. Box "R" had a shoot on the other side of Fuji TV and a reporter from a weekly entertainment magazine was scheduled to interview the cast individually. Yoshimoto-san was already there to inform the director that she was on her way.

She used a shortcut, turning into a hallway near the parking lot. Once in the isolated hallway, she stopped at the sound of sneakers squeaking behind her. She shook her head and started walking again, but at a quicker pace. By then, she already knew that she was being followed because of the occasional sneaker squeaks matching her pace.

Chiori stopped and turned around.

No one.

"Who's there?" Chiori called out. "I know someone's there. I'm not stupid. Just so you know, there are people waiting for me. They'll come looking for me if I'm not there in ten minutes." Her eyes landed on a tip of a sneaker peeking out from behind a pillar. "I can see you from where you are behind that pillar so just come out already."

In truth, she was scared. When the foot moved forward, she braced herself at who will come out. She expected to see a big, burly muscle man or someone with a weapon. Instead, she came face-to-face with a guy about her size with longish hair and a lean physique. He wasn't that intimidating at all!

Chiori was stunned. The guy was in Majisuka with her. More importantly, she knew him from LME. One of the agency's biggest idols...

"Ishibashi Hikaru-san?"

"I knew I recognized you when I saw you earlier," he said with a glare, trying to look menacing, but failed. "You were the one who pushed Kyoko-chan down the stairs at TBM Studios a couple of weeks ago, aren't you?"

Chiori was surprised. She heard someone call out Kyoko-san's name after she'd pushed her, but she'd never expected it to be him. "So?"

"So?" Hikaru-san exclaimed in surprise. Then he slapped his forehead. "What's wrong with you girls? First, she was more concerned about the Golden Colas and would rather deal with you herself." Then he looked at her. "And you... you did all those things and now acting all friendly around her in the Love Me Section."

"Why are you crusading for her?" Chiori asked. Kyoko-san, if anyone else, could fight her own battles. "Do you like her or something?"

Ishibashi-san's face turned beet red. "Wh-what?"

"Bingo," Chiori smirked. "It's written all over your face."

"Wh...H..." Ishibashi-san was suddenly at a loss for words. "I..." Then he recovered and said, "This isn't about me!" Then he glared at her. "It's about you!"

"I'm not doing anything!" Chiori vehemently cried out. "Kyoko-san and I have made our peace. She's a senpai in the Love Me Section and one of the few actresses I really respect!"

He gave her a stunned look, but still said, "You want me to believe that?"

"If you don't want to believe me, fine!" Chiori turned her back on him and walked away. He really wasn't that intimidating.

"Hey!" he called out. "I'm not finished with you yet!"

"Didn't I already say that there are people expecting me in ten minutes?" Chiori asked, not slowing down as he followed her. "You're going to make me late. Anyways, I have nothing else to say to you because you'll never believe me. If you're going to be persistent, you can just ask Kyoko-san yourself. She'll be there too."

* * *

"Is there anything else you want to add?"

"No," Kyoko shook her head. "I think I pretty much covered everything you asked."

"Then," the reporter smiled. "Thank you very much for your time."

"Thank you for the opportunity," Kyoko politely said.

She stood up from her chair as the reporter told the accompanying photographer that she was going to take a ten-minute break before interviewing Sudo-san and instructed he take pictures of the set.

Kyoko walked up to where Makino-san, Maruyama-san, and Sudo-san stood. "Sudo-san..." she called. "It's your turn next, but they're taking a short break before starting." When the actress didn't acknowledge her, she asked, "What's going on?"

"Ishibashi Hikaru-san from Bridge Rock is here!" Maruyama-san exclaimed, bouncing as she pointed towards the entrance.

"Eh?" Kyoko turned her head towards the entrance. Sure enough, walking behind Amamiya-san was her senpai.

"He's cuter in person than he is on TV," Makino-san said.

"Although..." Sudo-san tilted her head in appraisal. "He's a lot shorter than I thought. I was giving him too much of the benefit of a doubt since I watch Kimagure Rock from a tiny TV."

"Good afternoon, Kyoko-san," Amamiya-san said. Then she turned to the rest. "Everyone, sorry I'm late."

"Nah," Maruyama-san said. "The reporter's still there and the director said you'd go last."

"How was your Majisuka shoot?" Kyoko asked.

"It was good," she answered with a smile. "They made me do something absolutely stupid and I didn't care."

"Waa~h!" she gushed. "That's great! I wish I'd get invited to one soon too."

"Why would you want to be?" Makino-san raised an eyebrow at her.

"Because," she pouted. "Even if I've been getting offers, all I've been getting are mean girl roles. I want to show people that I can do more than just that."

"Rumi-chan loves shows like that," Maruyama-san cheerfully said.

"Anyways," Amamiya-san said, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "Ishibashi-san was in the same episode as me and followed me here. He's here to see you." Then she sighed. "Anyways, I have to show myself to the director and get into costume." With a careless wave, she walked away from the girls. "I'll see you guys in a while."

Kyoko turned to him and gingerly stepped forward in his direction. "Hikaru...-san?"

"Kyoko-chan," he said as he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her to a corner where they were still seen by people, but not heard. Hikaru-san stepped forward close enough that his mouth was only a few inches away from her ear as he urgently whispered, "That girl. She was the one who-"

So that's what it was, Kyoko relaxed and smiled as she turned to look at him. "I know," Then, reassuringly continued, "Don't worry about it. Amamiya-san and I are OK now."

"Still..." He pouted. "I don't trust her."

"Please..." she gently said. He looked at her worriedly. "She's actually really nice once you get to know her. Won't you give her a chance?"

He didn't looked convinced. Nonetheless, he looked like he was willing to take her word for it. He bent over again and whispered in her ear. "Alright," he said. "I'm trusting you on this. But if anything happens, I want you to promise that you'll tell me. I won't take no for an answer and the Bridge Squad's just a phone call away so I'll get really angry if you don't."

Kyoko was touched by his worry. No one had ever been that concerned about her. She smiled and gave him a sideways glance. "Yes, I promise," she said. "Thank you, Hikaru-san."

"Alrightie then," he smiled as he straightened up. "I'm off to a photoshoot with the guys. I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded. She bowed as he walked away.

"By the way, Kyoko-chan..." He stopped and turned to her.

"Mmm?"

"You look really pretty like that," Hikaru-san smiled as he let out a thumbs-up.

Kyoko was unused to being complimented. Of course, she heard praise for her acting, which is what really mattered. But, to be told something like that about her looks, from a respected senpai, that wasn't the word 'cute', made a blush creep up her cheeks.

* * *

"Kimagure Rock?"

Yashiro-san nodded somberly. "Still interested?"

They were seated in a conference room of a movie production company to meet with a director of a film Ren was interested in doing.

"Of course I'm interested," Ren answered. It was a wonder why Yashiro-san seemed uneasy about telling him about it.

Yashiro-san squinted through his glasses. "Seriously? You are?"

"It's the number one TV variety show in Japan," Ren shrugged. "You know what a big deal being on an anniversary episode is. Besides, Bridge Rock's from LME. They're practically family."

His manager frowned and glared at him dubiously. "If you're saying Bridge Rock is family," he said in a hushed whisper. "You're taking Cain Heel's character waa~y out of proportion here."

"Don't talk like you don't know how this business works, Yashiro-san," Ren answered logically in the same hushed whisper. "I'm going to be out of the spotlight for the next two weeks. I only have a recorded interview that won't air until next week and that drama I guest-starred in for the end of this week. Exposure is important."

"The Kimagure Rock anniversary episode won't come until the start of April," Yashiro-san countered. "Anyway, you still have your CMs and magazine interviews. Also, the new season is starting so you still have R Mandy. I don't think underexposure if a problem of yours. Denial is."

Ren knew where Yashiro-san was getting to and he didn't care for it. He felt his anger simmering to the surface, but he managed to temper it down.

He turned to Yashiro-san when he didn't say anything and was surprised by the stiff frozen expression on his face. Damn... he thought. Because he'd begun playing Cain Heel, he had less restraint on his feelings and his anger would easily show. He wasn't exactly angry - he just didn't know how to where to direct his frustration to.

He couldn't get himself to ask Mogami-san about Ishibashi Hikaru-san without making it look like he was butting in. Ren already knew that he can't do that without scaring her away from him.

Yashiro-san recovered "Alright then," he said, taking out his gloves out of his pocket. "I'll go tell Matsushima-san you've confirmed then."

* * *

"Argh!" A headset came crashing against the music sheet stand and bounced on the floor. "That's it! I've had it. I QUIT!"

"Ruri!" Matsunai Ruriko's manager chased after her when she stalked out of the recording booth, out the studio. Aki Shoko-san came after them.

"I've had it!" Ruriko-san cried out loudly. "If he's not going to take this duet seriously, there's tons of other singers who can do this better than he can!"

"Ruri!" Ruriko-san's manager tried to scold. "Fuwa-san came here to Karuizawa just for this recording session."

"Now, now, Ruriko-chan..." Shoko-san tried to calm her down. "Sho's just having a really bad day."

"I don't care!" Ruriko-san shouted. "He can be as unpleasant as he wants that he resembles a Deva King statue, but I expect him to sing with that incredible voice of his. Not with the voice that came from the deepest bowels of hell. He's the best male singer in Japan so I was expecting to work with a professional!"

His producer, Miruki-san, walked up to him and crossed his arms over her chest. "Are you happy with yourself, Sho? Matsunai Ruriko's temper tantrums are notorious. This time though, I can't even blame her."

Sho didn't care.

"...and if you don't think I don't know how to work with difficult people, you're wrong!" Ruriko-san just wouldn't shut up. "I'm going to be introducing this single at the anniversary episode of Kimagure Rock! I'm Japan's last idol. How will it look like if I have a crappy single when I'll have show business heavyweights like Tsuruga Ren and Bridge Rock there? I'll be a complete laughingstock!"

"Sho..." Miruki-san called out him as he walked to the studio door.

"Ruriko-san," he said as he glared at her.

Ruriko-san looked surprised. "Wh-what?"

The mere mention of that jerk's name...

"Sorry," he said as he felt his fighting spirit burn through him. "I was distracted. I'm seeing things differently now."

...The prick who dared think he could put his hands on his woman...

He snarled. "Let's do that song one more time before you decide on quitting."

...It really pissed him off.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Um... I could have always gone through the usual route of having Ren confronting Kyoko about Hikaru, but he has no reason to. He already knows that she doesn't see him as a man. Also, I've already written about Ren questioning Bo about Kyoko in two other fanfics and I don't want to do that again. Maybe at a later chapter when I need an escape from writer's block because I cannot think of another creative way to do the reveal. If the reveal would even happen.

- About Hikaru... I wasn't really sure if he actually saw Chiori when she pushed Kyoko down the stairs. I just played in a possibility of what if he did and what would he do if he realizes that Chiori is in the Love Me Section too. It seemed like a convenient way of writing the story so that it won't seem like I'm recycling things from my old fics. **  
**

- Again, reviews are loved and appreciated, but not expected.

- Next chapter: March 3rd! Doll's Day!


	6. Chapter 6

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Six**

**Acknowledgments:** Bloody_Rose021 for beta-reading

**Dedication: **Shiroyuki76 - Thank you for the awesome review, but you're not even close ^^ ...if things go according to plan.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 11 Days Before White Day (March 3)**

_Approximately 2:30 PM_

BJ watched with an expressionless face as the victim who just had a bullet go through his head fall dead on the floor. Without another word, he started towards the direction of the target, throwing the table and chairs aside - anything that got in his way, to make a clear path for himself.

The woman huddled tighter into the corner once BJ got to her.

He raised the gun to her and asked in a threatening voice, "Where is he?"

Two cameramen moved in on the space between BJ and the woman for tighter shots.

"I... I'm not going to tell you!" Her voice was shaky with waning determination.

BJ let out a smirk, grabbed the woman by the hair and threw her aside as she cried out in pain.

"No!" the woman cried out as BJ ripped open the sliding door to a closet where the target was hidden. "No, don't!"

A third cameraman moved in from just behind BJ to get a shot of the occupant in the closet. Without another word, BJ raised his gun and fired.

"Noooo!" the woman cried. She shook as she shouted, "You killed him! You killed him! You murderer!"

BJ glared at her and pointed his last buller at her. Then his hand started to shake. Then...

Then...

"CUT!" The call came.

Setsu's spirit came right back to Kyoko as her demons went to a retreat. Now wasn't the time to be intimidated or scared of BJ's terrifying character or the fact that Cain-nii-san was capable of acting it. She rushed over to Cain-nii-san's side as he stood still as the director spoke.

"What happened, Heel-san?" he asked. "The scene was going great, but you suddenly froze."

He didn't say anything.

"Heel-san?"

Setsu gingerly touched her brother's forearm. "Nii-san." She instantly recoiled when her brother snapped his head in attention. Bravely, she gently said, "The director was asking you something."

Cain-nii-san's eyes looked confused, but gradually gained focus. He turned to the director and apologized, "I'm sorry, director. I suddenly lost track of the pacing. Can we do the scene one more time?"

"Eeh?" the actress who played the woman he dragged around by the hair whined. "Heel-san nearly ripped my hair out!"

Setsu glared at her.

What the hell was wrong with her? She was an actress, wasn't she? She should know that she was going to get brutalized when she accepted the role. That's what realistic acting was all about, wasn't it?

"Also..." the director sighed. "You nearly destroyed the set, which is fine, but it will take forever to prepare the scene again. " He paused. He looked between Cain-nii-san and the actress and said, "Let's start over from the scene where you shouted 'You killed him! You killed him!' and take it from there."

"Yes, sir," Cain-nii-san nodded.

"We'll reshoot the scene from BJ walking up to the woman, everyone," the director announced. "Prop master!"

"Director?"

"How long to prep the scene from there?"

"To ensure continuity? Fifteen minutes, we still have to look at the playback," the prop master answered.

"Take fifteen, everyone!" The assistant director announced. The props people moved into the set as the actors moved out.

"Water, nii-san?" Setsu held out a water bottle to him as he sat on the chair. She felt really terrible about that it's the only thing that she can do for him. He was slumped on the chair with his hand over his face, looking unbelievably stressed. There should be more that she should be doing for him, but it was all she could do.

"Thank you, Setsu," he answered. He gave her a little wistful smile.

Setsu noticed that the actress was glaring at the two of them and looked away, saying, "Hmph! Jerk."

It's been like that since they started shooting the scenes with BJ. Usually, Tsuruga-san would be putting people he would be acting with at ease when a scene was going to be intense or be comforting when something in the scene went too far. However, Cain Heel was different. He didn't talk to anyone except her and the director and shrugged everyone else aside, barely acknowledging them.

They really were completely different people. And there Cain-nii-san was a lot moodier.

"You're doing a great job," she said, trying to boost his confidence. Then she felt foolish because it didn't sound right - telling a cold-blooded murderer that he was doing good, but she knew that it was the way their work went. "Just one more scene and we're finished for today. Alright?"

He looked at her and she suddenly felt self-conscious. He surprised her when he gave her one of his rare smiles. It was a little sadder than the one he would usually give her, but it was the encouragement she needed to see to assure herself that her brother was fine.

"Alright," he answered as he started to poke her cheek, then picked up the pace and started poking the other at the same time. "After this, we'll go back."

"Yup," she nodded.

"Heel-san," the director called from where he stood. They turned to him and he stood up to go to him.

Setsu stared after him.

Then she sighed. So this was her job, Kyoko thought. She was a sister/assistant/babysitter/stress reliever for Cain Heel. How weird for the President to think that a little sister would be able to accomplish all that. A girlfriend would give Cain Heel more outlets than a mere little sister.

Like... if she played the girlfriend-

A jolt shocked Kyoko's brain with a voltage that instantly made the thought of being Cain Heel's girlfriend a forbidden thought. She would never be able to pull off a role like that! And for someone like Cain Heel? She would never be asked to play it. Given his visuals, a girl with model looks... Maybe. If they could get past Setsu's possessive nature and impossibly high standards for him.

That's right, cast-member-who-has-been-making-eyes-at-Cain-nii-san, Setsu glared at a secondary lead actress who developed a weird crush on her brother. She was never going to be able to pass Setsu's assessment. In fact, she was never going to let anyone near Cain-nii-san but her.

* * *

_Later_

Cain let out a puff of his third cigarette.

"Nii-san," Setsu looked up at him annoyed. "That's your third since we left the studio and we've only been walking twenty minutes."

"I barely finished the other two," he answered without taking the cigarette he had in his mouth. It wasn't like he was blowing the smoke in her direction.

"Oh, you make it sound like it's the elevator's fault," Setsu huffed. "You should really cut down, you know. You're still scary even without them."

"Alright," Cain spat it out to the ground.

"Nii-san!" Setsu growled as she stomped over the cigarette, picked it up and threw it in the nearby trash can.

"It's not your job to pick up after me, Setsu."

"I'm here to make sure you don't get into trouble," she drolled as they turned to an isolated corner of the parking lot. "What am I going to tell the Boss if you get arrested for littering? How lame will that look for you?" She raised an eyebrow.

Cain laughed at the absurd image. "Pretty bad."

"Now, let's go," she grabbed his wrist and led him towards the trailer that was in sight. "We're going to be late."

She was going to be late. Ren, on the other hand, could have spent the whole day on the set, but since Mogami-san had to go to her other job, they had to leave. It was unusual to have free time but Ren knew it would have been abnormal for Cain not to have his permanent fixture, Setsu, around. Also, after the scene he just did, it was kind of a welcomed relief.

However, it left him with nothing to do, which meant he could go home to his apartment for a few hours and get wasted with alcohol before heading back to the hotel to change back into Cain when Setsu came home. However, the President insisted that he spend his free time at LME after his hair appointment with Jelly was over. To obligate him, the President got him a date with Maria-chan who left a message in his voicemail about how much she was looking forward to seeing him after a long time. Not that he couldn't complain since he liked playing with the eight year old.

Jelly Woods was waiting for them at the designated areas as she had been for the last four. Sometimes, the President was also there, and sometimes, like now, he wasn't. "Hi, Heel siblings," she greeted them. "Good job today!"

They stepped into the trailer. Ren sat down on the couch by the corner and said, "Mogami-san will come first, Jelly. She has to be somewhere."

"Alright!" Jelly called as she disappeared into the driver's area.

"But you're my senpai!" Mogami-san protested.

"I don't have anywhere to go today," he shrugged. "Senpai or kouhai aside, work still takes precedence."

"Alright," she said hesitantly. "Thank you. I'm sorry too. You could have spent the whole day on the set today if it wasn't for me."

"Don't think about it that way, Mogami-san," he smiled. He didn't think he could have been able to stay on the set and act out intense scenes for very long.

"Thank you anyway," she muttered before she turned around and spilled the contents of Setsu's purse on a small table and sorted Mogami Kyoko's own things into the purse she usually carried. "Oh, by the way... Tsuruga-san, you'll be in LME today, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

She produced a small cute package. "Would it be alright... if you could leave this at the receptionist area for Maria-chan? I got her something for today."

"Today?" Ren started thinking if there was an occasion that involved Maria-chan. Today was the third of March and today was... "Mogami-san..."

"Yes?"

He looked at the cutely wrapped package with dread and raised an eyebrow. Today, was Doll's Day. "Doll clothes?"

"Eh?"

"For that," he sputtered out laughter, "'doll' you gave her on her birthday?" He would never forget that doll. It would forever be burned into his mind. It was the single creepiest thing in the world and it was creepier because she'd made it.

Her face reddened to the tips of ears and Ren grinned. Bingo. "Forget it. I'll just give this to her when we see each other."

"No, it's alright," Ren reassured her. Mogami-san almost never asked him for any favors. He wasn't about to refuse her when she did. If she retreated, it would be hard to convince her again. "I can give it to her. I'm treating her to L.A. Hearts today anyway."

"I don't wanna," she pouted. "You'll look at it."

"I wouldn't think of it," Ren shot back with indignation. "What do you think I am? I'm not going to peek into a present for a little girl." When she still hesitated, he held out his hand. "Give it. I'll make sure Maria-chan gets it."

She finally relented and placed the package in his hand. "Thank you very much for doing me this favor."

"It's no problem." Then with a devilish grin, he looked at the package. "Although, I'm really dying to know what outfit it is," he teased. "Would it be the newest suit out this season for R Mandy or... You didn't!" He feigned shock. "You shouldn't have made Maria-chan Cain clothes."

"Tsuruga-san!" She was near tears and looked so cute. "Forget it, give it back." She lunged for him, but he was already holding the package out of her reach with his long arm. She knelt on the couch as she protested and crouch over him, trying to reach for it.

"No," he said firmly. "I already said that I'll give it to her with you. I'm not as eager as you think to see them." When he looked up at her, he suddenly became immobilized at the sight of Mogami's mouth right in front of his eyes. Her neck and collarbone just one pull away from his mouth. He briefly entertained the thought when she stopped what she was doing and looked down at him.

They were staring at each other for a few seconds. She finally opened her mouth and said, "Tsuruga-san."

"What is it?"

"You stink of cigarettes," she said as she stood up from the couch. She straightened up. "You really shouldn't smoke before getting out of character."

"Ah, Kyoko-chan!" Jelly suddenly popped out, making her forget about her present for Maria-chan. "The driver's asking where you're heading for again."

Ren's eyes narrowed when she answered, "TBM Studios."

* * *

_3:55 PM_

Kotonami Kanae's eyes narrowed with annoyance at the oncoming cry of excitement from a considerable distance. She sensed it coming closer and closer. At the last possible second, she turned around and extended her hand to connect with her best friend's forehead.

"Mo!" she barked out moments later as they walked toward the cafeteria. "Didn't I tell you not to shout out that embarrassing nickname in public?"

Kyoko pouted. "It's just that I haven't seen you in such a long time."

"Well, we're not in LME!" They were in TBM Studios - an important studio/station. Who knows what kind of people would be around? "It's embarrassing enough when you do it there! I'd really rather not be associated with you, you know," she glared at her.

"Moko-san, you meanie!" she whined. "We're best friends! How could you say that to me?"

"I'm not here for a social call," she huffed as they entered the cafeteria. "I'm here for work and we only have an hour. You still need to get ready for Kimagure Rock, don't you?"

"Ah, I know!" she said as they started scanning the display of food for their choice. "A quick lesson on traditional manners and decorum, right? What exactly do you need to learn?"

"Just the basic stuff," Kanae shrugged as she picked up a cheesecake then decided against it knowing the calorie content. "How to sit, how to walk, what I can or cannot do while I'm at it." She wasn't really sure. She was going to be in a historical drama as part of her 'Something Messy' assignment. As a girl of the modern era who grew up in a metropolitan area like Tokyo, traditional etiquette (except for the basic ones) was not her forte. Then she remembered that Kyoko mentioned that she had worked in a ryokan in Kyoto and... how old-fashioned was that? "I actually signed up for some classes for tea ceremony and kendo. I just need a basic foundation."

"Tea ceremony?" Kyoko's face lit up. "I can teach you that!" she said as she picked up an anpan. "I'll have you preparing tea for a ojou-sama in no time!"

"Yes," she dryly said. "But do you have the time?"

Kyoko's face immediately fell and Kanae started to worry. If she started crying, she wouldn't know what to do. "We-well... It's not like I have the time too. I'm busy with other work too."

"Well..." Kyoko slowly said as they walked the line. "If what you want to learn are those, I can't teach you here in the cafeteria. Let's pack up our snacks to go and head for my dressing room at the Kimagure Rock studio."

"Is that OK?"

"Well, it's not really a dressing room," she shrugged as she laughed. "It's kind of like a dead-end hallway no one goes to, but it'll give us the privacy we need."

"OK," Kanae shrugged. "Whatever, as long as I get to learn."

They paid for their take-out and made their way into the show's studio hallway.

"Yo, Kyoko-chan!" one of the members of Bridge Rock called out to her as the two of them approached and met them in the hallway.

"Shin'ichi-san, Yuusei-san, good afternoon," Kyoko bowed. "This is my friend, Kotonami Kanae-san. She's in LME with us."

"Good afternoon," Kanae greeted and she was greeted back.

"You're not joining us for our pre-show snack today?" Shin'ichi-san asked Kyoko.

Kyoko shook her head. "Kotonami-san is here because I need to teach her something. We should be done by five though."

"Too bad," Yuusei-san sighed. Then he straightened up and said, "By the way, Kyoko-chan, about the 14th..."

"Eh?"

"Shin'ichi-san and I won't be able to make it," Yuusei-san said.

"We won't?" Shin'ichi-san said in surprise.

"Obviously," Yuusei-san said with stress. "Since it's White Day, our girlfriends want us to take them out. So, it looks like it's just going to be you and the leader," he finished cheerfully.

"Eh?" Kyoko tilted her head. "Then maybe we should just reschedule. Hikaru-san might also have a date with his girlfriend that day."

"No!" Yuusei-san exclaimed. "He doesn't have a girlfriend. Besides, our schedules are packed so any other day might be impossible. You understand, right, Kyoko-chan? You know Shin'ichi and I are very happy about the chocolates you gave us and we'll just get you something back through the leader."

"No, no," Kyoko waved her hands. "You guys don't really have to get me anything."

"Then it's still on, right?" Yuusei-san asked. "You'll go with the leader?"

"O...OK," she answered shyly.

When they had everything settled, they bid them farewell - they were going to pick up their snacks. They were so obvious, Kanae stared after them. They were trying to pair up Kyoko with Ishibashi Hikaru-san. Of course, true to form, her friend never noticed.

A White Day treat for Kyoko, huh? Kanae thought. Obviously, they were the "some people from Kimagure Rock" who received Kyoko's Valentine chocolates But...

"Kyoko," Kanae said as they made their way to her dressing room.

"Yup?"

"Have you been seeing Tsuruga-san lately?"

He never received chocolates from her last Valentine's Day, but he kissed her so he was happy about something. It wasn't something that Kyoko said outright, but the way she ranted on about Japan's gray nature and kissing to a random bystander, he would obviously try to do something for White Day.

"No," Kyoko shook her head. "Not really. Not more than the usual."

"Eh?"

"I've been busy with my assignment for the President," she answered sheepishly.

"I thought it was just meeting his friend at Tokyo Station."

"Well, it's a lot like that time when I looked after Kuu Hizuri," Kyoko smiled. "I ended up that way anyway."

What?' Kanae stared at her. She and Amamiya-san ended up with assignments that got them exposure and Kyoko was stuck with another cooking job?

"What's wrong, Moko-san?" Kyoko asked. "If there something that you need with Tsuruga-san?"

Also, there's that. Tsuruga-san gave her that pretty stone for her birthday and kissed her last Valentine's Day and he hasn't seen much of her? Was he even really interested in her? If so, why hadn't he asserted himself? She ended up slapping her forehead.

"Moko-san?"

What did she care? Moko thought with annoyance. She never cared about crap like that anyway, she wouldn't start now. If he was going to move at a snail's pace when it came to Kyoko, she was just going to make things very difficult for him...

"Say, Kyoko..." Kanae started. "Since you'll be going out in the evening on White Day, do you want to go with me to the ice cream shop in the afternoon?"

* * *

_10:30 PM_

Ren looked up and watched Mogami-san as she moved around the kitchen. Her face was glowing with happiness and every so often, she caught herself giggling.

He just had to ask, "Did something good happen with your day?"

She was smiling widely, but quickly put on a nonchalant Setsu expression. "Of course not," she answered as she walked towards the fridge. "It was as boring as hell. You weren't there."

She was answering as Setsu. That was his fault for asking as Cain. However, the question was for Mogami Kyoko. She was either acting the role or she didn't want to tell her about her day. Obviously, she was at TBM for Kimagure Rock. Specifically, for Ishibashi Hikaru-san, and her happiness was somewhat connected to it. Well, she also met up with Kotonami-san, he remembered. Was it possible that she be happy just because of that?

"Then," he coughed as he stepped into the bathroom. "I'll just be taking a shower now."

"Dinner will be ready by the time you come out," she said. Her voice had pep in it.

"Alright."

Once the door closed, he leaned against the door. Through it, he could still her giggling to herself. He let out a long dragging sigh. She was acting Setsu a little too perfectly.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- I seemed to have set some kind of expectation for Doll's Day. I didn't know what else to write on the next chapter thing last chapter.

- Thank you for all the reviews. Again, they're appreciated, but not expected.

- Next chapter: What happens when a big idol visits the set of an unsuspecting actress when there's a reporter and a photographer there. Ren and Hikaru.

- Unfortunately, I won't be posting tomorrow. Probably the day after tomorrow. I need to give my beta-reader the leeway because I was lazy to type because the next chapter is looooooooong. ...that goes for the succeeding chapters.


	7. Chapter 7

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Seven**

**Acknowledgments:** Bloody_Rose021 for beta-reading

**Dedication:** YesIEatQuiche and SecludedSapphire - Sorry. This is going to be it for a while.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 9 Days Before White Day (March 5)**

_6:45 AM_

"Wait... what?"

It was early the next morning and Kyoko reported to the Box "R" set for the morning. She was leaving early too for Cain Heel's shoot at 1:00 PM.

"We were meaning to ask you about it the other day," Makino-san said as the girls of Box "R" clustered around her. "But after he left, the director called us, the interviews continued and then we started shooting."

"We asked Chiorin too," Maruyama-san added. "But she said that she didn't know anything."

"I really don't know," Amamiya-san shrugged. "And it's none of my business. Besides, Kyoko-san is my senpai at the agency. I can't talk about her like that."

"So..." Sudo-san asked with an eager look on her face. "Are you dating Hikaru-san from Bridge Rock?"

"No!" Kyoko answered in frustration as she lifted up the weekly entertainment magazine that had interviewed them the other day. It had a lot of pictures. Mostly of the cast, several of the crew and set, but why did they have to put in a picture of Hikaru-san and her with its own border and special caption '_Visitor On Set: Idol Ishibashi Hikaru-san (21) giving cast member Kyoko-san (17) a good luck kiss before shooting starts._' "This has obviously been done with image enhancing software or something! No one can vouch that this actually happened!"

The girls exchanged glances. Then Maruyama-san said, "Actually, Rumi and everyone saw it."

Kyoko looked at them in surprise. "Wha-what?" she stammered.

"That's why we wanted to ask you," Makino-san continued as Sudo-san nodded. "He was standing awfully close to you then. You were blushing too when he left."

Kyoko tried to remember back to what happened the day Hikaru-san visited the set. He was whispering something to her. Then, he complimented her about how she looked. Crap, she was going to have to apologize to him for this too, she thought in agony. "He wasn't kissing me," she exclaimed. "Hi-Hikaru-san is my senpai from LME. Besides, he would have much higher standards! And he's a gentleman too. And he treats me like-" she stopped. it would be presumptuous to say it so she settled for, "-he's sort of a friend."

Sudo-san grinned. "Sort-of like a friend?" she teased.

"Alright, girls," Director Annaka clapped his hands as he approached them. "Break it up. We'll start shooting in 15 minutes."

The girls looked disappointed and Kyoko was panicked because not finishing the conversation might lead to more misunderstandings, but the girls said, "O...K..." as they started to move out.

"Director," Kyoko bowed low and apologized. "I'm so sorry about all this!"

"About what, Nacchan?" he looked up from his clipboard.

"The... The picture..." Come to think about, he hasn't even mentioned it.

"It doesn't bother me," he shrugged. Kyoko stared in wonder. Why not? "You're at that age, right? A girl like you ought to have a boyfriend or two."

"But he's not my boyfriend," she protested.

He laughed. "I don't think that's something I should concern myself about. Besides, they didn't skimp off on the feature so I don't really care. That's all that matters, right?"

"We... Well..." She knitted her eyebrows and weakly answered, "I guess you're right, but I promise... No more visitors anymore."

"If that's what you want," he answered. "I don't really mind as long as they don't disrupt the shooting. If I banned visitors, I'll have half the cast complaining because their boyfriends want to see the shoot."

"Kyoko-chan!" a crew man called as he approached. "You have a guest."

"Oh, who now?" Kyoko snapped, feeling her demons fly out in rage.

* * *

_7:10 AM_

Miroku stopped and turned to Reino as they entered Fuji TV from the parking lot.

"What's wrong, Reino?" he asked. "We're going to be late for the music program taping."

Reino smiled nostalgically. "It was here."

"Huh?"

"Kyoko slapped me right here last Valentine's Day."

Miroku closed his eyes and sighed. Reino does think of the strangest things. However, they'd been friends for a long time so he was used to him.

Then he looked up with a faraway expression on his face. "And she's here right now..."

* * *

_7:15 AM_

Kijima Hidehito entered the set of his new drama for Fuji TV.

He was as annoyed as hell. He was refused access into the set of Kyoko-chan's new drama like a freaking on-looker.

What's with the mystery anyway? He just wanted to see the beautiful and mature version in person. True, he wasn't that interested in her and she was already dating someone else. Not that he cared about the presence of a boyfriend, but there had to be something about her that had gotten the attention of one of Japan's most popular idols, Ishibashi Hikaru's attention.

Curiosity got the better of him when he showed up for his drama and he found out that she was also shooting in Fuji. Since shooting hadn't started yet, he decided to take a quick peek.

He sighed. He should really give up already. It wasn't like he was going to go beyond anything but to satisfy his curiosity, but being halfway to his goal, he really wanted to see it through in the end.

* * *

_8:00 AM_

"Ren," President Takarada caught his attention. "I was asking you a question."

Ren looked up distractedly and apologized, "I'm sorry." He tried to remember what the President asked and said, "What the question was again?"

It was early in the morning. Mogami-san had an early morning shoot for Box "R" so the two of them had been up since 5:30 in the morning. He was due on the movie set in the afternoon. Ren didn't have anything until ten, where he would be appearing in a talk show for Fuji TV. Then, he'd meet her at the parking lot for their transformation.

"What's wrong?" the President sighed. "You seem very distracted today."

"N-nothing," he answered. Then, he glared at the open magazine he knew the President had left there to rile him up. It was small, but very pronounced because of the bright border. It was a picture of Ishibashi Hikaru-san kissing Mogami-san on the set of her drama. He didn't want to see, but his eyes kept turning back to it every time.

The President stared at Ren then finally said, "I've been meaning to ask you about that."

Obviously, otherwise it wouldn't be there. "I don't know what's there to ask," he tried to keep his tone steady. "After all, it's their business. Doesn't this mean that she can finally get out of the Love Me Section? I mean, she..." he glared at the photo, wanting to rip it off. "...looks _very happy_."

The President blinked in surprise, his action to reach for his coffee suspended. Ren wondered worriedly if he let his anger show too much. Then he sighed. "Ren..."

"Eh?"

"Hikaru-kun is one of the agency's biggest idols," he said. "He's easily likable and uncomplicated. However, he's not going to be able to survive Mogami-kun's personality quirks without breaking a limb or two. Maybe his mind. Only an overbearing, complicated man can handle that girl."

Ren looked up at the President and frowned. That didn't sound like a compliment to him, Mogami-san or Ishibashi Hikaru.

"I'm not going to stop him," the President said. "He's a grown boy who can do as he pleases. If he thinks he's man enough for Mogami-kun, that's his lesson in love to learn. If he succeeds, I will be ecstatically happy. So, you," he pointed at Ren. "Don't kill Hikaru-kun."

* * *

_9:00 AM_

"Yes!"

Yashiro Yukihito looked up from his coffee and spotted 2/3 of Bridge Rock, Ishibashi Yuusei-san and Ishibashi Shin'ichi-san, as they sat on the next table in L.A. Hearts. He thought they'd be watching a football game on the phone, but they were merely holding a magazine of a weekly entertainment magazine.

"Big deal," Shin'ichi drolly said. "It's just a small picture."

"Compared to the kind of progress he's been having, this is a milestone," Yuusei-san stared at him. "It's almost been a year and the leader hasn't changed from that lame old 'Do you want to grab a bite to eat?' line. He actually took initiative this time."

"So does this mean that we can go out with them on White Day?" Shini'ichi-san asked.

"Of course not," Yuusei-san said. "We've been playing matchmaker between those two for this long and now they have a date!"

Matchmaker? Between Ishibashi Hikaru-san and... who? Wasn't he already supposed to be dating Kyoko-chan? Allegedly. Yukihito still refused to believe it. And here were the boys trying to match him up with someone a date. Yukihito tried to make sense out of it all, but couldn't. Unless...

"Kyoko-chan looks really good in her new drama," Shin'ichi-san commented, smiling down on the magazine.

"She also handled the interview well," Yuusei-san seconded. "Although the picture of them kissing would get them yelled at by Sawara-san. If that was going to happen, they could have at least-"

Eh? Yukihito stood from his chair and turned to them. "Can I borrow that magazine?"

The force of his tone shocked the Ishibashis. "It's Tsuruga Ren's manager..." one of them commented.

"Sorry," Yukihito coughed. "I didn't know Kyoko-chan had an interview. We became really good friends with her when she was still in Dark Moon with Tsuruga-san. So, can I...?"

"Sure," Shin'ichi-san nodded and handed him the magazine.

Yukihito scanned the magazine and immediately dismissed it as something Ren should never ever see. Though at the back of his mind, he was trying to justify the photo, like... Ishibashi Hikaru-san could only be whispering something to Kyoko-chan. Still, it didn't explain why he would be at the Box "R" set.

Could this mean... he stared at the two members of the idol group, feeling his pride being brutally wounded. That these two were actually much better matchmakers than he was?

* * *

_Around The Same Time_

Ren halted to stop and stared ahead at the entrance of L.A. Hearts when he came face-to-face with Ishibashi Hikaru-san, who came from the opposite direction, also about to enter L.A. Hearts.

Ishibashi-san smiled and said, "Go ahead, Tsuruga-san."

In terms of seniority in LME, Ren was more tenured even if Ishibashi-san was slightly older. It was basic manners so he went on ahead and thanked him. At least, he had manners, which was kind of annoying. It would have been a lot easier if he was a jerk.

"So I heard that you'll be a guest on our anniversary episode," Hikaru-san cheerfully asked as they walked.

"There's no reason why I shouldn't," he answered politely. "It shouldn't even be a question. The fact that we're all in LME is more reason why I should be there."

"Well, at least we only have one more person to look for," he said. "We already have you, Matsunai Ruriko-san and-"

"Ah, Ren!" Yashiro-san greeted him.

Strange, Ren thought. He was standing up between his own table where his briefcase and things were set and the one where the other two members of Bridge Rock sat.

"Yo, leader!" one of the members greeted Ishibashi-san. "How was your meeting with Sawara-san and Toyokawa-san?"

"I got yelled at," Ishibashi-san answered miserably. "I already said that Kyo-"

"Aaah! Anyway, Ren," Yashiro-san firmly said, trying to get Ren's attention by animatedly waving his hands. "We should get going. We're going to be late for the 10:00 AM appointment at Fuji."

"OK," Ren nodded, then was surprised when he was already several steps away. Was he in a hurry? he thought. He would have wanted to hear what Ishibashi-san had to say. It was obvious that he was going to say something about Mogami-san and himself. With one last glance at Ishibashi-san, he turned and chased after his manager.

* * *

_2:00 PM_

"I'm going ahead!" Kyoko announced as she bowed to everyone.

"Alright..."

"See you, Kyoko-chan!"

"See you on the seventh."

She looked at the clock. 2 PM. Cain Heel was due on the movie set in an hour and a half. She turned around and headed for the door intended for the actors and crew. The main door of the set was full of Maruyama's fans. She was lead actress and had been a popular idol before she got the role of Chitose.

"Kyoko-san!" Makino-san called after her, carrying a paperbag. "You forgot this!"

It was a giftbag from the show's sponsors. Kyoko had been really excited when she'd gotten hers because some of them had cosmetics. She couldn't believe that she almost forgot them.

"Thank you, Makino-san," she said.

"No problem," she smiled. Then with a low tone, she moved forward and said, "Hey, I heard that Kijima Hidehito-san passed by earlier to see you."

"Yeah..." Kyoko shrugged. The crew member who greeted him earlier was asked what he was doing here. When he said that it was for nothing, she'd had him turned away. The shoot was about to start and her schedule was tight for the day because she'd be absent from the set tomorrow to accommodate Cain Heel's shoot. She just didn't have the time for a social call.

"You seem to be getting a lot of big people coming after you," Makino-san teased. "Are you really not dating any of them?"

"That's impossible!" Kyoko laughed. She never was, and never will be that kind of a guy magnet. "Kijima-san was just someone I worked with in Dark Moon. I really don't know why he could have passed by here."

"Haha," Makino-san closed her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Then, I predict... Another one of them will be waiting behind that door for you."

Kyoko laughed. That was even more impossible. "Anyway, I'll see you the day after tomorrow." She gave her a small wave.

"See you," Makino-san laughed at her own joke.

Kyoko was about to reach for the doorknob when she felt something cold. A jolt went through her - a similar sensation to when she felt that the Beagle was nearby and was coming by to attempt to take her to the demon world. She shook her head to take the foolish thought out of her mind. She didn't want to look weird in front of Makino-san and she was going to be late because of that foolish thought. Either way, she was going to meet up with Tsuruga-san. Nothing was going to happen to her. She knew the Beagle didn't like him.

She opened the door, and even though she wasn't facing her co-star, she heard Makino-san let out a loud gasp. "Ah!"

* * *

_A few seconds later_

"Ah!"

Ren looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw, right behind Mogami-san, a tall girl with long hair who was undoubtedly a co-star of hers in Box "R" pointing at him with her mouth wide open.

"Tsuruga-san!" Mogami-san looked up at him in surprise.

"Good afternoon, Mogami-san," he said as he took his foot off the wall where he was leaning onto the floor and straightened up.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked as she shut the door behind her.

"I just thought that since I'm also here at Fuji and we're heading to the same location, I'd come and pick you up," he answered.

"Ah... ri-right," she said. Then she bowed. "Thank you very much for the consideration."

"It's not a problem," he smiled. She looked very pretty. She obviously didn't get out of her Natsu fashion much since she was heading for the parking lot directly where Jelly was waiting for them.

"Have you been waiting long?" she asked as they started walking the hallway.

"Mm... about twenty minutes."

"Then, you should have come in and waited there!"

Ren let out a smile. "Actually, I was told that _Kyoko-sama _wasn't allowing any visitors for herself unless it was with notice from her."

"I-I'm sorry," she smiled guiltily. "I'll make sure to let them know that you're an exception. I just never thought that you might pass by."

"That's OK," he said. Actually, he was a little hurt. He tried to insist to the crewman, but he was practically begged not to be asked to ask her. "Besides, if I really wanted to come in, I could always say that I was looking for someone else."

"Oh, I see.." she stared ahead of the hallway. "Still, it doesn't seem right. After all, you are my important pe-" She stopped then quickly unlinked her hand from his. Ren was surprised that they were holding hands just as Cain and Setsu would. How long have they been holding hands? Were the two of them slipping? Was the comfort level they have as Cain and Setsu seeping through Tsuruga Ren and Mogami Kyoko? They have been together more as the siblings than as themselves. Ren quickly covered it up by taking the paperbag she was holding. She didn't protest and just moved her hand to grip the purse she was carrying. "I mean... you are my senpai. If anyone should get access, it ought to be you."

She was blocking out visitors, but Ishibashi-san was able to go in just like that. On a day when a reporter was in too. "Anyone," he said. "Like Ish-"

He suddenly stopped when she stood straight like she was being electrified. She froze for a second and stopped walking then turned around, looking up, down, the sides and under. "Mogami-san...? What are you doing?"

"Eh?" she turned to him in surprise. Guiltily, she stood up and gave a small laugh. "I just felt a cold breeze just not. It felt so weird I thought a ghost might be passing through."

A ghost?

They were having a decent conversation and she got distracted by a weird, imaginary thing like... a ghost?

He suddenly became annoyed. Why was she like this? Whenever something important was going to be discussed, she would always find a way to shy away from it with one motion or comment. Of course, she does it consciously, but it always happens.

"You really shouldn't joke about things like that," Ren answered instead of showing his anger. "You're only going to scare yourself, especially since you'll be working in this studio for the next couple of months. What if a ghost really came for you and spirits you away?"

Her eyes widened at the possibility. She didn't really believe that, did she? Ren wondered.

"Tsuruga-san," she said in a scared voice. "Don't joke about things like that unless you intend to pick me up again. I'm going to be working here the day after tomorrow until eleven in the evening."

* * *

_8:30 PM_

"Reino!" a call came from the front door of his apartment.

He knew it was Miroku, but he couldn't interrupt what he was doing or he'd have to start all over again. He was nearly finished anyway.

"Reino," Miroku finally showed up. Then he stopped when he saw what he was going. When he finally finished, Reino turned to him and his best friend finally spoke, "The guys will be here any minute now. They're picking us up."

"Do I have to go?" he asked lazily. "We've been up since six in the morning promoting the album."

"Of course you have to go," Miroku sighed. "You're the lead singer of the band. This is a party for the single's launch."

Reino sighed. "Fine." He picked up what he was working on and placed it inside a small pouch.

"What is that thing?" Miroku looked curiously.

"My present for Kyoko."

"Mm?"

"For White Day," Reino answered. This was something she really needed. "She gave me a boxful of chocolates filled with her feelings for me. It's customary that I give something back to her."

* * *

_9:30 PM_

Cain slammed the after-shoot drink Setsu prepared for him on the table.

He really couldn't believe he went through an afternoon and evening as Cain Heel in the kind of mood he'd been in. More so, because he wasn't that happy with her at the moment. Well, the other her - Mogami Kyoko. He really had no justifiable reason to be unhappy with her. So she was going out with someone else and that they were having public displays of affection in front of the media? He had zero right to be mad at her, but everything she's done was just unacceptable to him.

Even though she still helped him with through the day. He knew that she knew he was angry. She had been hesitant and kind of meek when acting around him, especially when he was acting "extra scary" today. Today was a good day professionally. Personally, not so much.

After a break and a phone call, she also started acting really angry. She didn't show it, but Ren could sense it floating around the surface.

She was in the kitchen. Her back was turned to him as she prepared a very light dinner because she wasn't happy with the half sandwich he had.  
Cain stood up and went to the closet for his night clothes and snuck a peek at her. He was shocked and surprised by the dangerous aura she was emitting and the murderous glint in her eye when she cleaved the lettuce to half in one blow.

Somehow, it struck him as unbelievably amusing. He let out a sputter of laughter. "I thought I was the one who was playing a cold-blooded killer."

"Huh?"

Ren looked over to the lettuce and shook his head. "Poor lettuce," he joked. "I will honor it by finishing the salad tonight."

Setsu let out a small smile. "As long as I can get you to eat."

Ren looked at her face. Something was bothering her. "Did something happen today?"

She was quick to shake her head.

"Did something happen?" he repeated, then added. "Mogami-san?"

Suddenly, her shoulders sagged. Apparently, he observed. Mogami-san needed his permission to act as herself. It happened a lot for the whole time they'd been acting together as the Heel siblings. He needed to be the one to break a scene.

"Mogami-san?" he hesitantly asked, sensing something dark coming out of her.

"Sawara-san scolded me today," she scolded miserably.

Ren stared at her for a moment. She looked really hurt and he couldn't resist. He leaned his hip against the counter and sighed. "Of course he would," he said with a sigh. "It's not good for an agency to know that you have a boyfriend the same way everyone else does."

"Tsuruga-san, you knew?" she asked nervously.

"Well," he said quickly. "I was at LME earlier while you were at your shoot, right? I heard some people talk about it. If it's any consolation, Ishibashi-san looked like he felt bad about it too." What was he doing? he thought. Why was he trying to make her feel better about being with Ishibashi-san? He actually hated the thought. However, he hated the thought of her in distress than that. Then he averted his gaze and gave her quick glances. "I was really surprised too. I didn't know that you were going out with Ishibashi-san."

Mogami-san sighed. "That's actually the problem," she said. "I'm not going out with him. And he wasn't kissing me the day he went to the Box 'R' set."

"He wasn't?" Ren looked at her curiously. That kinda... gave him hope.

She shook her head. "He wasn't even there because he specifically came to visit me. He was there because he followed Amamiya-san from the Majisuka set."

"So who he really likes is Amamiya-san?" Ren felt a huge burden leave his shoulders. That was it...

"Huh?" Then she laughed. "No, he followed her because he became suspicious of her because he saw her push me down the stairs once."

Ren's eyes widened at the revelation. "What? Someone pushed you down the stairs?" Suddenly angry, he demanded. "When did this happen?"

"January, just a little after Box 'R' started shooting," she answered. Then she looked up at him. "But don't worry about it. Really. I saw a doctor until my hand healed. Hikaru-san just became suddenly suspicious because she suddenly joined the Love Me Section."

At that very moment, Ren decided that Ishibashi Hikaru-san was his hero. "Rightfully so."

"But Amamiya-san and I patched things up after and are actually good friends now." Then she blushed. "She said that I was her senpai. Isn't that strange?" Then she turned to him. "Anyway, back to the magazine, he wasn't kissing me. He was whispering something to me and that the picture was taken at an odd angle that it ended up looking like that."

"Oh," he smiled. He was relieved. He hadn't lost her after all. He still had a chance. "So that's it."

He had no intention of letting this second chance pass him by.

* * *

_11:58 PM_

"Master..."

Takarada Lory looked up from his late night drama marathon and raised an eyebrow.

"There's a phone call for you."

"Tell him to call back in an hour," he frowned. The staff of his household knew that he's not to be disturbed on TV drama night.

"Yes, I did say that," the servant said sheepishly. "But, Mr. Kuu Hizuri is very insistent that he talks to you. He says it's an emergency."

He sighed. That idiot Kuu must be frantically worried about Kuon again, especially now that the first teaser promo for the movie had gone viral on the internet. "Alright... I'll talk to him."

That damn fool better not be thinking that he'd ever let anything happen to his baby boy. He picked up the phone and waited for the call to be connected.

"Kuu..."

"BOSS!" the frantic screech made Lory's ears ring. "Juli... Juli..."

"Calm down, Kuu!" he ordered. "Say it slowly."

He heard him swallow then huffed, like he was out of breath. "Juli... Julie's gone! How am I going to tell Kuon?"

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- I'm posting this now because the awesome beta-reader finished. Also, because I realized that it was Friday and my weekend is packed. Really. There will be no updates until Monday or Tuesday because I haven't written out the next chapter yet. I'm still reevaluating what I'll be doing to the next few chapters and editing out things that are essential to the story and things that could be left out for other things. Plot bunnies are popping up like... well, bunnies. My apologies to the people who have grown spoiled by my frequent updates.

- I'm not anti-Hikaru. I love Hikaru! I really think he and Kyoko should be a couple. Unfortunately, I don't think he's man enough for Kyoko. Not like Ren and Sho are anyway. What a waste... He and Kyoko could be so cute together.

- Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Again, I don't expect to get them, but really appreciate getting some.

- Next chapter: Sho finally sees the twice as beautiful and mature version of Kyoko. He hasn't yet, right?**  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Eight**

**Acknowledgments: **Bloody_Rose021 for initial beta-reading. Runadaemon for finishing.

**Dedication:** Bloody_Rose021 Good luck with your school stuff!

**Special Mention:** shiroyuki76 - thank you for the PM

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 8 Days Before White Day (March 6)**

_5:30 PM_

"Setsu~..." Cain walked over to his little sister as she straightened from picking up two steaming cups of liquid from the vending machine. Careful not to spill the drinks, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist and slumped his head on her shoulder.

"What is it, nii-san?"

"I'm tired. I want to go home," he sighed as he buried his face against her neck.

He really was. This was the longest shooting day for the movie he'd ever had. At least according to the schedule, it would be the only long shooting day he had that required him to be on the set for the whole day. He usually didn't have any problems with that. He just wished that the scenes he was doing weren't so mentally draining all in one day. He was fine physically, but reaching down to the darkest years of his life to get into the psyche of BJ really took its toll on him today.

At that point, all he really wanted to do was stay in his room at the hotel and... well, do what he was doing right at that moment.

She smelled nice. It was a nice, clean scent. She didn't wear heavy perfumes and her scent stood out from the light spritz she used. It reminded him of the time his mind was driven wild when he held her in his arms back in his apartment after she fell off the chair when they were acting as Katsuki and Mizuki. His heart started beating a little faster.

"Nii-san," she said.

He lifted his head and huskily asked, "What is it?"

"Nothing," she answered, turning in his direction. "I was going to say that you were tickling me but you already lifted your head." Then she smiled. "And I know you're tired and feeling a little stressed, but it's just one more scene. Your turn will be in 10 minutes so just please try to do something to take your mind off things while you're waiting."

He really didn't pick up much of what she said, except for the last part. The proximity of their faces were so close, he could feel her breath on him as she spoke. It distracted him. He was turning into an idiot because he wasn't getting what he needed.

His head was spinning by her closeness and she was calmly holding up the cup for him. "Here," she said. "Your coffee. Strong. No milk. No sugar."

He straightened up and took the cup from her.

It was just like the time in the shower all over again. She didn't even blush or feel flushed. She really didn't see him as a man.

This meant that this was a one-sided thing on his part. He already knew that, but given how she was, she may not be aware of it. That was when Ren realized that there really was no other way for to make her see him that way - or at least be aware of it - but to scare her.

Setsu downed her drink then threw it into the trash and said, "Let's go?"

"Setsu..." he reached out for her hand.

"Mm?"

"When we get home later..." he said with all the determination he could muster. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

The timing was bad. In fact, it was terrible. He really couldn't wait anymore. The near miss he had with Ishibashi Hikaru really opened his eyes. He definitely wasn't going to let a chance, when it was there, pass him by again.

"Is it something important?"

"Yes," he answered. "It's really important."

"Then say it now."

"Now?" Ren uneasily asked. They were playing roles. What he had to say needed to be said as Tsuruga Ren to Mogami Kyoko, not as Cain Heel to Setsuka Heel. "It needs to be said in private," he answered.

She looked up and down the empty hallway meaningfully.

"Not here," he insisted.

"Now, nii-san," she said with the same level of insistence. "From the look on your face, it looks really important. Please," she looked up at him. "I'll get worried."

"It's nothing to be worried about." Well, that wasn't exactly true. He wasn't really sure. It depended on how she would take the news, Ren thought wearily.

"Then you can tell me now," she said simply.

She was a lot better when she would simply listen to what he had to say and believe it to be true. The look on her face was worried. Ren knew her well enough to know that she'll end up obsessing over it from now until the time they got home. Can he really risk telling her now? If he did, she probably won't be able to act Setsu out properly - whether the result be favorable or not.

He didn't have any more time to contemplate on it when he sensed someone coming by the hallway.

"Ah!" an excited voice echoed through the empty hallway. "Cain!"

He turned to the voice and froze.

"What is it, nii-san?" Setsu asked questioningly.

Then, he made the biggest mistake of his life as Cain Heel. The person who called out to him was too familiar and much-loved; he couldn't stop himself from saying just under his breath, "Okaa-san."

* * *

_Around the same time_

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Takarada Lory greeted Kuu as he slipped into the car. Once Kuu was settled, the car drove away from a private airport onto highway traffic. "You nearly gave me a heart attack with that kind of news."

"How else could I have phrased it, Boss?" Kuu asked as he reached for the car's fridge.

"How else-?" Lory asked incredously. "_Clearly_, you moron!"

Juliena was in Korea for a promotional thing for her new movie. She had security with her, but she managed to shake them off. According to SPs in charge of her, she disappeared from the hotel along with her wallet and passport. Her laptop was left open to the movie's profile of Cain Heel.

That was last night. She disappeared hours before he found out because he doesn't check his phone while working. He had Kuu fly to Osaka where a private plane was waiting for him to bring him to Tokyo. It was going to be complicated if people got wind that he was here.

"This is my fault," Kuu tearily said. "I should have gone with her."

"You're not to blame," Lory assured him. "You were shooting in Vancouver for a movie, weren't you?."

Kuu nodded. "With the redhead she didn't like very much," he added miserably. "They were rivals at the height of their modelling days."

"If tabloid rumors from back then were to believed, they were rivals for you too," Lory reminded him with a cheeky grin.

"She's already happily married to her third husband!" Kuu defensively shot back. "And Juli knows I love her! Plus, the role is too good to pass up."

"No... I don't think that has anything to do with it," Lory assured him. "She probably acted on impulse. That picture of Cain Heel was really terrible, but she should already know that it was done deliberately." Her sweltering mother's love appealed to him. He liked that. For that alone, he wasn't going to kill her.

Kuu sighed. "Yes, but the problem is that she might inadvertently expose Cain Heel. That will be terrible for Kuon's progress. Have your people found anything?"

"No," Lory sighed. Juliena was smart - much like her husband and her son. She could easily lay low below the radar. She was as much an actress as Kuu and Ren. However, without his own resources, she'll have a hard time finding Kuon. It's not likely that she can smuggle herself into the studio lot, but that was the only lead they had. So, that's where they were going.

"Have you told Kuon yet?" Kuu asked, reaching for the compartment that hid the snacks and took out some Kaki-P.

"We don't want to alarm him," Lory answered. "He already has a lot in his mind right now."

"The role's making him depressed again, isn't it?" Kuu fussed.

"I should hope not!" Lory said. "Not with the kind of reinforcement I placed in for him. He looked fine yesterday when I saw him."

"Then that's good," Kuu reached for the popcorn.

"Good grief, Kuu," Lory rolled his eyes. "Are you planning to finish off all my snacks?"

"Can't help it," he answered between chews. "I eat when I'm stressed."

That was the biggest piece of flummery Lory had ever heard. For a man like Kuu... "What do you do when you're not stressed?"

* * *

_Still Around The Same Time_

"Okaa...-san?" Kyoko echoed Tsuruga-san's blurted out word and turned toward the direction he was looking and froze.

She wasn't even Japanese! True, the Heels were British-Japanese, but the mother...

In the black silk and leather she wore, she stood forbiddingly and intimidatingly. She was tall like nii-san with clear eyes and gorgeous skin. Her blond hair matched her wig's with darker streaks. She looked too young to be their mother!

Heel-mama came running down the hall and threw herself in Cain-nii-san's arms. "Cain! I missed you so much," she cooed. "I was so worried about you."

What the- Damn it! Kyoko wanted to shout. Why wasn't she informed that a mother character would arrive? Tsuruga-san obviously knew because he was able to identify her right away. But why wasn't she told?

"Wh-Why would you be worried, 'kaa-san?" Cain-nii-san stammered as he straighted up. Kyoko frantically met his eyes to ask him what was going on, then he added, "Setsu's been taking care of me. She'd never let anything happen to her older brother."

"Se...tsu...?" Heel-mama turned to her with a questioning look in her eyes. Kyoko instantly panicked, not knowing what to say. She didn't know that there was a daughter character? What the hell! Then Heel mama recovered quickly, smiled brightly and walked over to give her a hug. "Setsu-chan... You've been taking care of Cain in my absence, haven't you?"

"Um..." What was she going to say? Her head started spinning. She wasn't prepared for a mother character! Just what kind of relationship did she have with her?

It's alright... Kyoko tried to calm herself down. The Heel siblings were low tension, moody people who only cared about each other. Anyone who intruded in their cozy twosome were treated with...

"Of course I would," Setsuka huffed in an annoyed tone. "I already said I'll take care of nii-san so there's really no reason why you should be here."

Heel-mama was still smiling when she lifted her hand and flicked her forehead. Kyoko was so shocked by the motion that she reactively raised her hand on her forehead. At least she was right. Heel-mama and Setsuka didn't get along well with each other! Which was terrible, really. The harmonious rapport the Heels had so far might get ruined!

"Setsu-chan..." Heel-mama smiled. "Haven't I been telling you that if you continued to talk with that smart mouth of yours, you'll end up being a cold, heartless girl who looks down at the world like your brother?"

"You really shouldn't talk to her like that, Setsu," Cain-nii-san seconded. "It's not cute."

Kyoko was agog. Cain-nii-san sided with her? What the hell? No matter how far she went, Cain-nii-san sided with her-no matter what! Her lower lip quivered as she said, "So...sorry."

"Good," Heel-mama affectionately patted her cheek. "As long as you understand."

Kyoko looked up at her in wonder. Something about what she did reminded her a lot of Kuu-oton. She suddenly felt warmth and kinship towards her.

"O-okaa-san," Cain-nii-san turned to their mother. "Wh-Why did you come here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"Eh?" okaa-san answered. "Well, I had free time so I thought it's be a good idea to check up on my..." She turned meaningfully at Kyoko. "...children," she finished.

"I see," Cain-nii-san said. Then slowly, he asked, "Is... otou-san also with you?"

Kyoko turned to okaa-san. She needed to know now. She didn't think she can take any more surprises when a Heel-papa popped out from the corner.

"No," she shrugged. "He's probably still in Vancouver cavorting around with some redhead."

"Eh?" Kyoko's eyes widened. The Heels are a broken family? It didn't seem right. The family seem to get along so well with each other.  
"Anyway," she flipped her hair. "Is shooting done yet?" she asked as she linked her arms with Cain-nii-san and hers.

"The-there's just one more scene left for nii-san," Kyoko answered as they walked. She was partly relieved that another member of the Heel family was not going to show up, but was strangely saddened that there was none.

"Then, we should head back," she answered. "I let you do whatever you want to do as long as you don't inconvenience people. What were the two of you doing anyway? I didn't raise you to be out of the studio while there's a shoot on-going and you could be needed at any minute," she scolded.

Kyoko felt instantly guilty and Cain-nii-san pouted. "So...sorry, okaa-san," they muttered in unison.

* * *

_6:00 PM_

"...so tomorrow is the premiere of your debut drama, right, Marumi-san?"

"That's right!" Maruyama Rumi-san enthusiastically answered. "Box 'R' will premiere tomorrow at nine. Rumi really hopes everyone will be tuning in."

"How was your first leading actress experience?" the host asked. "Was it difficult?"

"Not really," she laughed. "Rumi got to work with really great costars who portrayed their characters well."

"But we hear that this show has a really extreme theme like bullying," the host continued the questioning. "We hear that the bullying scenes were really intense."  
"Yes," Rumi-san nodded. "Rumi and everyone want to make the story as realistic as possible..."

How long did he have to sit here? Sho thought irritably as he looked on the panel of guests. Because it was the start of a new season, a lot of celebrities were out promoting their new work. He already talked about his upcoming single and talked about the duet he worked with Ruriko-san on for the next month. He slid a glance at the side of the set to his manager who only poked her index fingers on her cheeks to tell him to smile.

"...and Kyoko-san is a great Natsu..."

Sho's ears perked up at the mention of the name of the girl he can't get his mind off. He turned to Rumi-san in interest as she finished.

"And we have a clip of the show, right?" the host segued to introduce the upcoming promo clip. "Roll it."

Sho turned his gaze onto the monitor and his eyes widened at the sight of Kyoko. He almost didn't recognize her and wouldn't have if Rumi-san hadn't said it was her.

Who the hell was this girl who walked, talked and smiled with the confidence of some teen queen? It looked absolutely nothing like the role she had in Dark Moon. Absolutely nothing like the girl he knew.

He then turned to the young idol/actress beside her and asked in a low whisper. "Are you still shooting for the drama?"

"Yup," Rumi-san nodded. "We're starting on our fifth episode tomorrow."

"Will she be there too?"

Rumi-san turned to the monitor then back to him. "Kyoko-san? Of course she is. She's the lead villain. Fuwa-san, you know her?"

"Um..." Crap, his curiosity got the better of him. "Yeah..." he tried to salvage his pride. "She and I worked on the Prisoner PV before. I even saw her several times on the Dark Moon set. So will she be on set tomorrow?"

Rumi-san looked at him before answering. "Rumi's not sure if Kyoko-san's boyfriend will like other guys visiting her on set."

"Tsuruga Ren comes on the set?" he asked incredously. That jerk. He's really circling his territory. He really didn't like that guy.

Rumi-san stared at him cluelessly. "Tsuruga Ren? Rumi-san's sure that Kyoko-san's going out with Ishibashi Hikaru-san from Bridge Rock."

That was news to him. Sho's eyes widened. "Ishibashi?" He remembered that guy. He was the chibi-runt host of Kimagure Rock. Well, he was really nice and likable when they met then, but his opinion of him quickly changed now that he's going out with Kyoko.

"Or was it Kijima Hidehito-san?" she wondered to herself. "Rumi heard he came by yesterday, but Ishibashi-san was the one who was kissing her before. Or not..." She let out a hum in contemplation.

"That looks like a very intense show, Marumi-san!" the host announced at the end of the clip.

Trained to answer on cue as most celebrities are, Rumi-san turned back to the host with an answer.

Kyoko... Sho thought fumingly. ...has that many guys chasing after her now?

Damn it, he swore in his head. Tsuruga. That Beagle. Kijima-whoever. Ishibashi Hikaru... When did she...? Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! he swore. Making her hate him wasn't going to work anymore. Up to this point, everything he's been doing was to make sure he stayed on her mind. What the hell was he going to do now? Now, he really needs to undo everything he's done so far and open his feelings for her. The way that she hated him right now, she was never going to accept whatever he had to say.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shoko-san waving to him. When he turned to her, she once again poked her cheeks, then her face fell when he smiled.

* * *

_6:15 PM_

He really was his father's son, Juliena thought as she watched BJ as he moved through the set. Not once had Cain heel broke out of character since she arrived.

Being married to Kuu made her used to him coming home after long periods of time not quite himself. She was an actress herself so she could understand. All she had to do was to help him find his center again - just as he did when she would come home the same way.

She didn't have much time left, she contemplated. By now, Mr. Takarada would know she was here.

"OK, cut!" the call came.

"That was good, Heel-san," the director praised. "That's it for you today."

Setsu - or Setsuka - quickly moved towards the set and Cain was quick to give a smile.

It was such a big surprise. Seeing Cain's miserably forbidding face really worried her beyond belief. So much that she stopped suppressing the urge and jumped onto the first flight to Japan and contacted her make-up artist friend, Jelly Woods, whom she'd worked with on several shows and tried to ask her for the favor as vaguely as she could. She was so scared that Kuon would regress to his old self. It wasn't that she didn't have any faith in Mr. Takarada's schemes - after all, he has been helping the family all this time, but her son...

Finding out that a little girl was placed in as her son's reinforcement worried her. It seemed so flimsy and shallow. She didn't seem strong enough to handle Kuon's darker side. At first, she dismissed it as something like the actress who was assigned to this work was just someone who wanted to spend a lot of time with him so she can flirt with him. Especially the kind of hanky-panky she found them in. But she was wrong.

That girl, she observed, was able to push the right buttons. How Kuon responded to her reminded her a lot of what a big baby Kuu could be when he was going through the same thing.

Still... why a sister? she thought wearily.

"Okaa-san," Setsuka called as they approached. "Nii-san's finished for the day. We should get some early dinner. We can gang up on nii-san so he can finish a meal for once."

"I finish everything you cook," Cain scoffed.

"Not without me scolding you halfway through," Setsuka countered as she glared at him. "There are times when I'm itching to stuff food into your mouth like a five-year old."

She really knew Kuon so well... She knew just how Kuon can be during meals. "Oh, Setsuka!" she suddenly hugged her little girl. "Why must the two of us be so burdened with men with appetite problems?" She faked a sob. Julie could feel at ease leaving now. Still, she didn't want to leave them yet.

"Eh?" Setsuka said in surprise.

"I guess we could eat," Juli straightened up. "No point going to your hotel since your father might be there by now to get me. Let's head for my hotel. I'll cook the two of you up a huge feast!"

She saw the look on Kuon's eye - he still didn't like eating. And Setsuka tilted her head to the side. "Huh? I thought you left otou-san because he's with a redhead in Canada?"

"Eh?" Juli turned to her in surprise. Setsuka was looking up with her, questioning the consistency of her character. Gullible was the first thing that came into her head. Setsuka was an impressionable, gullible girl. She could tell her anything and she'll probably believe it. If Julie said that she only had a few days to live, she would probably have her dead and buried. She was an innocent little girl! How can Mr. Takarada be so cruel to put her in the same room as her son? Juli helplessly turned to Kuon for help.

"That's never going to happen, Setsu," Cain interjected. He placed his hands on Juli's shoulders. "Look at 'kaa-san. Do you think otou-san would ever think of leaving the most beautiful woman in the world?"

Juli smiled at her son's words.

Setsuka looked at them for a while then let out a smile. "No way, right?" Setsuka chuckled. "'Tou-san would never be that kind of an idiot."

* * *

_6:30 PM_

"We just missed them," Lory announced to Kuu he closed the door of the car. "The driver's still here, but a guard told me that he was asked to get them a cab. They're probably heading back to the hotel as we speak." Though they wouldn't go there. They would probably wouldn't be very far though. He should get some of his people to scour the area. "At least now we know that Juliena's with them."

"What are we going to do, Boss?" Kuu asked worriedly.

* * *

_9:30 PM_

"Now, how about some dessert?" Setsuka cheerfully proposed.

"No!" Okaa-san and Cain-nii-san cried out in unison.

"Then how about some coffee?" She let out a little laugh at their vehement reactions. It died as soon as she noticed that the two turned a little green at the prospect of taking anything else into their stomachs.

In some weird game okaa-san thought of, they ditched the car the Boss provided for Cain and Setsuka and got one of the studio guards to hail them a taxi. They ended up at Jeanne d'Arc where Kyoko learned that all the laundry she does for herself every evening was for nothing when Cain-nii-san declared that Setsu had no more clothes. Okaa-san kept throwing things and ensembles at her for her to try out while nii-san stayed outside to wait for them. Another week's worth of clothes for her last week as Setsuka was going to be waiting for her at the hotel lobby when she picked it up later.

The three of them ended up in Cafe Liama, a small restaurant a few blocks away from the store and the hotel she and nii-san stayed in. Nii-san was adamantly against them ending up at the Tokyo Imperial Herald where okaa-san stayed when she said that she wanted to cook for them. Setsuka volunteered to cook for them, but okaa-san insisted that she didn't want to go to their hotel. Once in the restaurant, okaa-san ordered enough food to feed an army - something, she said, she picked up from years of living with their father.

"I'll get the bill," nii-san volunteered as he slowly stood up and staggered to the nearest waiter.

Poor guy, Kyoko thought. Cain-nii-san was so scary that the waiter turned white. Then she noticed that okaa-san was a little pale. Her eyes were closed and her forehead rested on her palm. "O...okaa-san..." she precariously said, resisting the urge to reach out to her. "Are you alright?"

"I've never had so much food in my life," she groaned. Then she was laughing as she turned to her. "Setsuka, I'm so full!"

Kyoko was surprised by her reaction and how unrelated her answer was. Her own mother would have scoffed or pushed her away whenever Kyoko wanted to comfort her. This kind of mother...

She didn't know how to deal with her. Kyoko's head started spinning again. She was just as unpredictable as Cain-nii-san! She would make weird jokes that would tease nii-san and her. She would scold her when she did something inappropriate but was quick to acknowledge her once she admitted a mistake. She was also overly affectionate: prone to touch, hug and pat her children's heads.

None of the roles she'd ever had could have prepared her for this! Mio's mother hated her. Natsu's mother spoiled her rotten, but generally didn't care what she did. Forget about the angel and the girl running in a field! The only other character she had was a chicken!

"Setsuka?" 'kaa-san's voice made her snap out of her agony.

"Uh... yes, 'kaa-san?" Setsuka hurriedly replied.

"Don't ever leave your brother's side, OK?" she smiled. "He's going through a really difficult time right now. He really needs your strength right now."

Well, Kyoko thought. That was why she was here: to be Tsuruga-san's good luck charm whatever that entailed. "I don't know what strength you're talking about, 'kaa-san," she scratched the back of her neck. "All I'm really doing is cooking and cleaning for him."

"He treats you nicely, doesn't he?" okaa-san asked. "He doesn't make you do anything you don't want to, right? Because you should slap him or punch him."

"Well," Setsuka smiled uneasily. "He teases me a lot."

"Oh, that's just because he loves you."

Kyoko stopped. She didn't know how to answer that. She can't break out of character and scoff at the mention of love. Either way, as siblings, it should be natural that she and Cain-nii-san were devoted to each other. That was the kind of relationship that Tsuruga-san developed from the very beginning.

Fortunately, she was saved from answering when nii-san returned and announced that the bill was settled. So they got out of the restaurant and started walking back to their hotel where nii-san said he'll get a car to drive okaa-san back to her hotel. The three were casually talking when a voice from behind called out to them.

"Hey, you!"

They turned and Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise. "Ah!" she pointed. "Seaweed Head!"

"Seaweed?" okaa-san repeated. Then she turned to her and nii-san questioningly. "You know these people, Setsuka? Are they friends of yours?"

"Definitely not!" Kyoko answered.

"You," the one with the glasses called out. "Kozu still haven't recovered from what you did, bastard!"

"He says that he doesn't want to go out and have fun anymore," the other one said. "He's the best fighter we have. We had to beat the crap out of him to get him back to his senses."

"Now, we'll take it out on you," Seaweed Head announced, taking out the stick he had with him from that time. "Through pain. Then we'll take your bitches and make them pay for all the trouble you caused."

Were they idiots? Setsu thought. They couldn't even take him down the first time! Now, they looked like they were going for him all at the same time. She nervously wondered if nii-san would be able to disarm them properly.

And it was dangerous too! Kyoko started to panic. Tsuruga-san already told her that people like them can't make trouble in public! The dangerous aura nii-san was emitting was definitely not something reassuring. Kyoko already knew that since acting BJ, it was much easier for him to slip into character, she thought nervously. She moved forward to try to stop them, but okaa-san held her back, warning her not to be too hasty.

To her relief, nii-san turned around, gently nudged okaa-san and Setsu's shoulders and he said, "Let's go, Setsu, 'kaa-san." Setsu moved to do as she was told and moved to turn around. Then, at the corner of her eye, she saw the three of them charge him. "NII-SAN!" she screamed.

But only one of them was able to move forward. Seaweed Head and the glasses guy were held back and glasses guy was thrown to the wall. Cain-nii-san was quick to block the strike of his attacker, disarm him and throw him to the ground.

"Let me go, you bastard!" Seaweed Head cried out as he was lifted off his feet by the collar.

The man who grabbed him leveled their faces together and snarled, "No one calls my girls that." After, he let Seaweed Head go without any warning and he fell to the ground.

"Damn! That guy's obviously part of some organization."

"I don't want to get involved anymore."

"He called for back-up."

The three scrambled and ran off to different directions. Cowards, Kyoko thought.

Then she turned to their rescuer. He was nearly as tall as nii-san and wearing the same worn-out clothes with dark glasses. Under the dim light, Kyoko couldn't make out a face. Who was...

"Cain," he sighed. "Getting yourself into trouble again?"

Kyoko's eyes widened. Cain Heel was a character. How did he know him?

"I didn't do anything of the sort," Cain-nii-san answered huffingly. "I'm just looking after Setsu and okaa-san, otou-san."

"Sweetheart!" okaa-san exclaimed.

Otou... Sweethea... Kyoko turned in disbelief. What the hell? They said that there wouldn't be a father character! How come one showed up out of nowhere? How come Tsuruga-san knew that there was someone else coming! Was this part of the President's back up plans?

"Anyway," Cain-nii-san continued. "What are you doing here in Japan? I thought you'd let me act in the role without interference."

Eh? Kyoko thought in wonder. What a strange question for him to ask. Wasn't he a grown man who did as he pleased? So why scold him like that?

"I would have too, you know," Heel-papa sighed. "I just need to pick up your mother since she came here so impulsively that she had me flying halfway around the world when I just came home from a long two weeks of work and found her not at home." Then he turned to Setsuka and okaa-san who were holding each other through the whole ordeal. "Honey." He said it so firmly that nothing okaa-san would say would be able to sway him.

Kyoko looked up at her and saw her puffing her cheeks like an indignant child. "I know, I know." She let go of Setsuka's arms and stepped forward.

"Aah!" Kyoko let out a strangled cry. She didn't okaa-san wanted to leave! She liked her. Even with a screwed up family like the Heels, Kyoko never felt more warmth from a mother figure than with her. Okaa-san was sweet and loving and would do outrageous things like hug her for no reason.

Okaa-san stopped in her tracks and turned back to her. Then she gave Setsuka a hug and said, "Don't worry," she said. "When he comes back to us, you'll come with him, right?"

The role will end in less than seven days. She was never going to see her again, Kyoko felt her stomach sink. Even if she asked the President the name of the actress who acted Heel-mama, it wasn't going to be like this. However, she still had a role to play, so with a lump in her throat, she nodded.

"Then I'll see you soon," she straightened up and gave her a warm smile. Then she turned to Cain-nii-san, tiptoed and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Come back home soon."

"I will," Cain-nii-san smiled.

Kyoko watched as she walked up to Heel-papa. "Let's go back."

"I'll just say good-bye to the kids too..." He moved towards them.

"No," okaa-san firmly said as she grabbed his arm. "You already had your fun. And you came here to ruin mine. I just wanted to know how the children were doing," she nagged.

"Ah!" Heel-papa moved as okaa-san dragged him, but he was moving backwards because he was still looking at then and holding out his arms. "Cain... Setsuka...!"

Okaa-san continued to nag him and strangely switched to English until they disappeared into a car that was parked at the far side of the road.

* * *

_Just After_

"I'll have you know that I'm having you banned from entering the country until Kuon decides to comes back to America," Mr. Takarada greeted her as she slipped into the car.

"Hah!" Juiena huffed. "Then I won't be banned for very long! And, it was worth it too."

Mr. Takarada stared at her and let out an amused smile. "Is that so?" Then he turned to Kuu, "And you, you could have caused so many problems by fighting off those thugs. I was about to send out the SPs if they went on to fight you. Good thing for you that they were cowards who ran away."

"Boss!" Kuu defensively cried out as he adjusted his dark wig that went a little askew - probably from fighting off two out of the three thugs. "I'm not an action star for nothing, you know! And they called Juli and the kids names too! How do you think I could have kept my cool with that?"

Juli turned to the Boss and said, "Um... Mr. Takarada, that girl..."

"Mm?"

"She's a great girl to act opposite Cain," she said. "Not once has she stumbled and let me know that Cain was a character."

"Isn't she?" Mr. Takarada smiled.

"What kind of family does she have?" Julie eagerly asked. "Before we leave, I want Kuu and me to speak with them about-"

"That's not going to happen," Mr. Takarada cut her off.

"Eh?"

"Mogami-kun has no family," Mr. Takarada sighed. "Before her debut with a commercial aired, I had my people look for her parents to get their consent since she joined without it. Her mother signed it, but made it clear that she didn't want to be bothered about her - even for a percentage of Mogami-kun's earnings. So before you think of doing what I know you're thinking of doing, you may want to consider that."

"What?" Juli gasped in surprise. She turned to her husband who had a downcast look on his face. She only heard praises about Kuu's 'other son', but nothing about this when he obviously knew something about it. "But... she was so cute and sweet and lovable..." Was that why she was so uneasy with her and took a while to be comfortable with her?

"Honey?" Kuu said suddenly.

"Yes?" she turned to him.

"Why do you want to meet up with Kyoko-chan's mother?" he asked in a tone that made it seem like the thought just occurred to him.

"It's only natural, isn't it?" she answered. But this was terrible! She will never understand that girl's mother. "When a boy's parents want to meet with a girl's parents..."

"Did she do something bad to you?" Kuu asked cluelessly. "Call you names? Did she call Kuon names? Did she punch him in the face? On the crotch?'

"Kuu," Juli and Mr. Takarada sighed in unison. "You're an idiot."

"What?" he exclaimed. "I'm asking because I want to know. That's how people learn."

* * *

_Just After Too_

Ren watched the car drive away with a mixture of relief and sadness.

Sad because the reunion after nearly six years of separation was far too short. Relief because... well, that was self-explanatory.

He turned to Setsu. It was very late and they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow. He was surprised when she looked ahead at the car sadly.

"Setsu...?" he slowly asked.

She looked up at him in attention and when she did, tears fell out of her eyes.

Ren was shocked at first then smiled. "Hey," he said reassuringly. He reached for his pockets for a handkerchief, but Cain didn't use them so he just settled for wiping her face with his gloved hands. "You'll see them again."

"I-I know," she answered shakily.

Of course, she was answering as Setsu, but Ren knew that she was sad as Mogami-san.

"I'll never forget Mama Honey Heel," she suddenly declared. "Papa Sweetheart too!"

"Honey?" Eh? Ren looked at her cluelessly. "Sweetheart?"

"Those are their names, right?" she said. "I heard them call each other that."

Ren stared blankly at her. Okaa-san has always been 'Honey' and otou-san has always been 'Sweetheart' - sometimes 'Idiot' - to each other. That's how it's always been growing up. Then he laughed. "Those are their pet names for each other!" he said in between wheezes as he wrapped an arm around her and they started walking towards the direction of the hotel.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously? Are you sure? After twenty-something years of marriage, they still call each other that? Is that even possible?" Then she followed up with a mutter. "Come to think of it, 'Sweetheart' is an awfully awkward name for someone as scary as otou-san."

Ren was still laughing when he said, "I guess it's possible. If people are in love with each other for that long."

"Oh..." she said as she processed the information.

The talk about being in love made Ren remember what he told her just before his mother came. The something he wanted to tell her. Of course, he would tell her. Tonight. But that will have to wait until they're back in their hotel room.

He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Nii-san?"

"Se-Setsu..." he slowly said as he felt his stomach go queasy. "I think I'm going to be sick."

* * *

_10:30 PM_

Kyoko set two tablets of stomach antacids on the table and gently touched Tsuruga-san's shoulder as he slumped over his chair. "Tsuruga-san?" Now wasn't the time to be acting.

The hotel receptionist was more than helpful when he found out the room number and the manager personally delivered the stomach antacids.

"Sorry, Mogami-san," Tsuruga-san groaned as he reached for the tablets.

Kyoko ran to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water for him. She opened it and handed it to him as he downed two tablets. "You really pushed yourself this time, Tsuruga-san," she scolded softly. They really did eat a lot. She was feeling heavy herself. So she could only imagine how much worse it was for Tsuruga-san, who ate everything Setsuka and okaa-san pushed at him without complaint. The men of the Heel family, from what she observed, were such pushovers for the women. It was perplexing for her. "All this time I was so afraid that you'd go overboard with the role like that other time," she said as she sat on the armrest of Tsuruga-san's chair and started kneading his back, "and now the only thing I want to do right now is to laugh so badly because you got sick eating too much. It's kinda lame."

Tsuruga-san let out a weak laugh before he drank the water. At least, he can laugh at his own situation.

"Anyway, is there anything else you need?" she asked as she picked up the leftover medicine. When he shook his head, she said, "Then you should just rest. You still have a long day ahead of your tomorrow. I'll just straighten up a bit."

"Thank you, Mogami-san," he said. Then he stood up and walked over to the bed.

By the time Kyoko came out of the shower, he was already fast asleep. When she was lying on her bed a short time later, she contemplated on how crazy the day had been. She can't really blame Tsuruga-san because he became sick, but she started wondering what the thing he wanted to tell her was about.

He had a look in his eyes that said it was really important.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- First, sorry for the delay. I was really late typing everything out and my beta-reader is busy with real-life stuff. I hope the length of the chapter makes up for it. I don't know why there are people who think I would killed off Juli Hizuri. :( I'm on Team 'I don't believe that she's dying and thinks that her "act" so Kuu would let her see Kuon.'

- I hope no gets confused with Rumi's speech patterns. She's one of those characters who refers to herself in the third person.

- Anyway, I hope that my characterization of Juli is OK. This is why I don't like writing characters with no established personalities ;_; It's always a hit or miss. Like an OC too. Anyway, I'm working with the fact from the fanbook that **she's a model AND actress**. Pretty much, her appearance was just because I wanted to give Ren a cockblock that he can't hate. If he did he would be a terrible man. I also added in the fake fact that Juli calls Kuu 'Sweetheart'. It's the only way I can write it in a way that she doesn't call Kuu by his given name - especially since they were in character as the Heel-oya. **Ren's indigestion is also important for the next chapter.**

- As for Kyoko's mother, I don't really care enough to think about her character so I just wrote in that part. Besides, this WAS supposed to be a romance. Now, I'm not sure. This will probably end up being humor again. *cries*

- Next chapter: Kyoko and Reino then Sho then Kijima then Ren then Hikaru in that order. LOL. When... nobody knows. I just hope I finish this ff before the next act of the manga comes out. I sense major character dev.

- Reviews are appreciated but not expected.


	9. Chapter 9

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Nine**

**Acknowledgments: **Runadaemon for beta-reading.

**Dedication:** alitablake. Do not comfort Hikaru. Do not claim. :D

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 7 Days Before White Day (March 7)**

_9:00 PM_

"OK, that's a wrap for the day," the assistant director announced. "Good job, everyone."

Ren stepped off the platform and walked over to Yashiro-san.

"Good work today, Ren," Yashiro-san said as he handed him a bottle of water.

"Thank you," Ren unscrewed the cap and took a sip as he loosened his tie.

He spent a few hours on the movie set that morning. By noon, he and Mogami-san went their separate ways when she headed for her Box "R" shoot in Fuji TV while he headed for a drama shoot at TBM Studios where he guest-starred in a recurring character role. He was supposed to have it done weeks ago, but production got slightly delayed. Either way, it was a nice change of pace.

"By the way," Yashiro-san reported. "I got a call from the mechanic. The full detailing of your car's done. Should I send someone to go pick it up?"  
Because Cain Heel was supposed to be a foreigner, he and Setsu were being chauffeured around in a car provided by LME. It seemed like the ideal time to have the annual maintenance done.

"Alright," Ren answered. "Please have someone pick it up and park it in my spot in the LME Building. I'll just pick it up when I pass by."

"OK," Yashiro-san nodded. "Anyway, that's it for today. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow so you should get some rest."

Ren waited for it. The inevitable 'Why don't you go home to Kyoko-chan and let her greet you home with a cute housewife smile' or similar. That wasn't going to happen. First of all, she was still at work. Second, it's not like that has a chance of happening with the kind of luck that he's been having when it came to dealing with her.

Things weren't working out the way he hoped they would. He planned to confess to her - at least to make her aware of how things were. Of course, his mother came along and, as always when she would get her way, that ended up with indigestion. He attempted again that morning, but Mogami-san made him drink that weird brew of hers that she called stamina juice because he still wasn't feeling 100%. It made him feel more pathetic than he already was.

Strangely enough, Yashiro-san's teasing didn't come. It unnerved Ren. True, he's worked with the serious kind of Yashiro-san much longer than the one who liked teasing and toying around with him, but it was creepy that he suddenly reverted back the serious kind.

Ren wondered if it was because he didn't know that there was something to tease him about - Mogami-san's rumored relationship with Ishibashi-san. That was impossible! Yashiro-san has always been on top of things: even simple, baseless gossip, which he can effectively filter for him - may it be new projects that were in the development stage, reputations of people he worked with and other random things that were essential for Ren to know.

Ren raised his head and turned to his manager. Did that mean that Yashiro-san was filtering out the information that he knew about Mogami-san and Ishibashi-san? Yashiro-san obviously didn't know about that being rumors because Mogami-san told him that it wasn't the case just the other evening. Ren was sure Yashiro-san was dying to ask him about it.

"You're right," Ren said as he pulled off his tie and made his way to the dressing room. "I should get ready. I still need to pick up Mogami-san at Fuji because she asked me to and that's in another part of town."

"Eh?" Yashiro-san exclaimed.

Bingo, Ren thought. Yashiro-san was dying to know.

* * *

_9:15 PM_

"Eh? I'm done for the day?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side.

"Yeah," the director nodded. "Honami-chan had to leave for her job earlier, didn't she? The only scenes you have left are the ones with her. We could have finished everything if we didn't have to do the classroom scenes so many times."

"I see," Kyoko said, looking up at the clock.

It was only 9:10 PM. She wasn't supposed to get off until 11:00 PM. If that was the case, she was going to have to wait for two more hours before Tsuruga-san picked her-

...What?

Then she scolded herself. What was wrong with her? Just because she mentioned that she was getting out at a certain time didn't mean that Tsuruga-san will actually come to pick her up. Just because Cain-nii-san was so devoted to Setsuka didn't mean that Tsuruga-san would be the same way. She really got herself too spoiled - and in such a short time too. She was so used to having her every wish fulfilled and that obviously cannot happen outside of character. Not just because Tsuruga-san never lets her be spoiled, but also because he had better things to do than just hang around his kouhai.

"Kyoko-chan?" a crewman brought her attention back to reality. She turned to him and asked, "Are you alright?"

Embarrassed, she made a quick excuse and made a beeline for the dressing rooms, where she called the driver - who can't pick her up until 10:30 PM. Because she had time to kill, she got dressed and fixed herself to her original, plain self. Between Natsu and Setsuka, she hasn't much opportunities to act as herself.

Happy with herself, she left the studio and opened the studio door at 10:15 PM. As soon as she stepped out of the studio, she let out a scream as she saw...

"B-Beagle!" she shouted. "Ho-How did you find me?"

The damn Beagle was leaning against the wall with his arms and legs crossed. He smiled. "You said that you were coming out at eleven, didn't you?"

"When did I tell you that?" Ugh... Kyoko thought. Just like a demon. He obviously had mind-reading powers! Has this freak been creeping into her thoughts?

"The other day," he answered.

"What?" she cried out. That was exactly what she expected from a denizen from hell. "So this means you used your malevolent powers to know I'm coming out early?"

"Not really," he shrugged. "I'm still waiting for my turn at a shoot so I thought I'd pass by here."

That was obviously a lie! He obviously used his powers. "What you want anyway?" she barked.

He straightened up and reached into his pocket. Kyoko's eyes widened. What was it? A weapon? Another one of her children he managed to snatch? Magical dust to transport them into the demon world?

Her demons held tight behind her head, shoulders and arms as she braced herself for the worst! When he pulled his hand out, she turned her head to the side and shut her eyes.

Seconds passed.

Kyoko didn't feel any differently. So that meant that she hasn't been bewitched yet. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself still in Fuji TV. In the same hallway. At the exact spot where she stood. She turned her head back to the Beagle. He obviously used his powers to transform himself into his full monstrous demon form.

She saw him, just as he was, still standing where he stood, holding out a small pouch by the string to her.

Eh? Kyoko looked at him cluelessly. That was... rather anti-climactic. Not that she wished for something bad to happen, but...

"Here," he shook the bag. "For you."

"Wh-what is it?"

"Obviously," the Beagle drolled. "It's a present for you."

"Hah?"

"For White Day."

"Huh?"

"I'm giving it to you," he finished after a few more seconds of silence as he swung the pouch.

"What for?" she asked.

"In exchange for the chocolates you gave me on Valentine's Day," he finished. "It's customary to give you something in reply for the feelings you gave me so heart-feltly."

"I don't want it!" Kyoko shouted.

Her demons quickly retreated into her when he took a step forward, grabbed her wrist and shoved it into her open palm. "Take it."

"I refuse!" She threw the pouch to him and it hit him squarely on the chest.

"I'm telling you to take it," he tossed it to her, which she stumbled slightly to catch. She was about to throw it back when he said, "If you don't, your life will be in danger."

"Eh?" What? Was he threatening her?

"You were walking with someone truly evil the other day." He pointed to the pouch. "That is a talisman I created myself to protect you from being hurt and scared by him."

Kyoko's eyes widened. A wandering spirit attached itself to her?

"Just take that thing and never let go of it," the Beagle instructed. "This is something I did without asking for payment. I don't want anything to happen to the ordinarily plain girl I like. I won't be able to protect you. He might beat me half-dead and I don't like that." Then he smiled at her. "I know it's still early, but since you gave me your Valentine chocolates early, it's OK."

"Reino?" the long-haired Beagle popped out of the corner. "We're being called next for the shoot." Then he noticed her and smiled. "Ah, you found Kyoko."

"Don't call me so familiarly!" Kyoko barked at him.

"Remember what I told you, Kyoko," the Beagle said before he disappeared where the long-haired one came from.

A...An evil being was following her around? Kyoko started to shake. Could it be... a ghost? From where? With her hand still shaking, she grabbed her phone. She opened it and saw Cain Heel's face. If... she thought. If she called him, he'd come, wouldn't he?

No! her mind cried out. Tsuruga-san was busy with his own work. Even if he has already gotten out, it wasn't like he was going to believe her. When she talked about the Beagle's powers back in Karuizawa, he called it rubbish and how gullible she was. Who... who else can she call?

The phone rang anyway, making her jump. She looked and saw "Unidentified Caller" flash through the screen and she picked it up. "Yes, hello? This is Mogami."

"Kyoko-chan!" Hikaru-san's cheerful voice called out from the other line. She could hear the other onii-sans being rowdy at the background while being scolded by Toyokawa-san.

"Hikaru-san," she breathed out in relief. "Good evening. Why are you calling so late?"

That was good timing. Very good. It was like what he told her was proving true: "...the Bridge Squad's just a phone call away..."

"Mm?" he answered. "I'm not interrupting you with anything, are you?"

"Not at all," she answered. "I actually just got out of my shoot for Box 'R'."

"That's good," he laughed. "Listen, sorry I called this late. The guys and I just got out of our CM shoot. Anyway, we have a sudden change in our schedule tomorrow. So, we're having the meeting about the anniversary episode moved from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM. Can you still make it? We just want to ask if you're going to be available before we let Sawara-san know. If not, we can reschedule it for another day."

Kyoko mentally ran through her schedule mentally. Tomorrow, Tsuruga-san will be acting in his recurring role in that drama at TBM. Since she didn't have anything to do, she planned to work at LME for the day. He won't be done til 8:00 PM so... "It's alright," she answered. "I'll be in LME all day anyway. I'll be available for the meeting."

"Great!" he said. "So we'll see you tomorrow?"

Before she could answer, a hand grabbed her shoulder and she let out a scream.

* * *

_10:25 PM_

"Hello?" Hikaru cried out in alarm. "Kyoko-chan!"

Yuusei-kun, Shin'ichi-kun and, through the rearview mirror, Toyokawa-san looked at him.

"She... s-screamed... Kyoko-chan..." Hikaru stammered.

* * *

_10:25 PM_

"Jeez!" Sho muffled Kyoko's scream by clamping his hand over her mouth. "It's just me." Kyoko turned her head, their eyes met and she started wiggling to be released. "Take it easy. I'm not going to do anything."

Kyoko stomped on his foot and Sho let out a curse as she jumped aside. "Damn it," she huffed out breath. "I thought this stupid talisman's supposed to protect me from evil!"

"Evil..." Sho repeated. Then he took offense and cried out, "Are you talking about me?"

He gritted his teeth. He was 100% positive that nothing he could say will change her mind. He was a jerk in her mind - something he deliberately did. Kyoko hated him, but that was his guarantee that she was thinking about no one but him.

"Who else would I be talking about?" she shot back.

Sho bit his tongue as a scathing retort came to mind. Then, a sound of her phone reading echoed through the hallway. She looked at it and was about to answer, but Sho grabbed her wrist to stop her. He was about to tell her something very important. He wanted her to listen properly.

"In case you haven't noticed, I was talking to someone!" Kyoko raised her voice. "Also, it could be the person who came here to pick me up. If I don't answer, he'll come looking for me."

Sho's eyes narrowed. Which one? "Is it Tsuruga?"

"Hah?"

"I know, Kyoko," he snarled. "I know you've been spending your evenings in fleabag hotels with Tsuruga Ren."

Kyoko's face turned pale and her eyes widened. "H-How did you know about Tsuruga-san?" she asked in a shaky whisper.

Sho's temper flared. She wasn't even denying it! "So it's true?" He angrily flung her wrist away.

"How did you know about it?" she asked again. "No one's supposed to know about that. That's supposed to be a secret."

"It doesn't matter how I found out," he glared at her.

"No, no," she countered disbelievingly. "It matters more than anything else in the world. How did you find out?"

Sho glared down at her. He knew that these kinds of "secrets" were not unusual things in their business. He knew that and had his fair share. His chest heaved as he tried to control his anger. The thought that Kyoko was also engaging in these kinds of things - with a guy he really didn't like - really pissed him off. "So you admit it?" he cried out. "That you're spending your nights with Tsuruga Ren?

"Wh-why?" she asked indignantly. "What is it to you? Are you planning to go to the media about it?" She sounded so brave, but he heard her voice break.

"Why would I do that?" he asked. He had to decide now. Did he care enough about her to overlook what she did?

"Why wouldn't you?" she asked as her voice rose.

Then the answer came to him and he shouted it out. Angrily.

"Why would I want people to find out that the girl I love acts like a slut!"

Kyoko looked absolutely livid. "Excuse me!"

This was, he decided, his penalty for everything he had done to her all this time. If it was a fight with Tsuruga he needed to win, he was just going to have to win it. "You heard me, right? I'm in love with you! I love you. I'm not going to have anyone else be with you because you belong to me. We always belonged to each other!"

* * *

_10:30 PM_

Ren stood still at the familiar voice as it shouted just outside the studio where Mogami-san was shooting her drama. Even without seeing anything, there was no question as to who it was...

He stood at the corner of the Fuji TV hallways. One more turn and he was at the staff door of Box "R". What was he doing there? What was she doing there? Wasn't she still supposed to be shooting? It was only 10:30.

"Hah?" the only answer she had.

With a frustrated growl, Fuwa said, "This is no place to be talking about it. Let's go!"

"Wh-Where are you taking me?"

"Somewhere the two of us can be alone so we can settle this," he answered.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Then Ren heard a hand hitting skin. Someone got slapped. Thinking it was Mogami-san, Ren furiously took a step forward, ready to take on Fuwa. No one can manhandle Mogami-san that way and expect to get away with it.

"What's going on here?" a voice called out before his foot hit the ground.

"Kijima-san!" he heard Mogami-san exclaim.

Kijima? Ren's eyes widened. What was he doing here?

"Back off , man," Fuwa threateningly snarled. "This is between me and Kyoko."

"Well," Kijima-san answered back. "Whatever it is, I think she already gave you an answer. Should we ask her again?" He paused. "In front of the Fuji TV security team?"

Smooth as ever, Ren thought. Kijima-san always liked to act cool. Especially with the girls. It was somehow funny when he said it that way to Mogami-san.

"Fine," Fuwa snapped. Ren heard his footsteps as he walked away. Then they stopped. "Kyoko, you will think about what I said."

"Like hell I will!"

"Hey there, Kyoko-chan," Kijima-san cheerfully said after a few minutes. "You're awfully popular with the guys, aren't you?"

"Kyoko-chan!" Ren heard Kijima-san's manager fuss. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he? Do you need anything? Tea? Soda? You want us to take you to the hospital? Does your hand hurt? That slap was really sharp."

"N-no," Mogami-san answered. "I'm fine. Thank you." Then she asked, "Um... what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you."

Eh? Ren's ears perked up.

"To see me?"

"Yeah," Kijima-san answered with a laugh. "I want to see you in that Natsu get-up of yours so I swung by after my shoot."

"Kijima-san," Mogami-san said tartly. "You're still not doing what you said you were going to do when you were in Kimagure Rock, are you?"

"I just wanted to see!" he answered defensively. "The way everyone described it, I'd be a fool not to want to see you like that!"

Mogami-san let out a short laugh. "Sorry. I already finished my day. Besides, we already started airing this evening."

Kijima-san let out a sigh. "Ah... the story of my life."

"Anyway," Mogami-san said. "I need to get going. Someone's waiting for me at home."

"Well, let us drop you off," Kijima-san volunteered.

"Ah, no, thank you, I'm fine," she answered.

"I won't take no for an answer," he said firmly. "A girl your age..."

Wait a minute! Ren suddenly thought. Why was he still hiding in the corner? Wasn't he just about to charge? To take Mogami-san as far away from Fuwa as possible. Why was he still standing there, all calm and complacent just because Fuwa left? Kijima was probably ten times the playboy Fuwa and him (before he came to Japan) were- combined!

He took another step and turned the corner.

Kijima-san saw him from the corner of his eye. "Tsuruga-kun?"

Mogami-san turned to him and let out a smile that melted Ren's heart. "Tsuruga-san," she breathed out.

"Hey, Kijima-san," Ren greeted him casually. Then he turned to her and smiled. "Good evening, Mogami-san. You finished early?"

"Yup!" she nodded. "We rescheduled some scenes and I was let off early. I thought you'd be at TBM Studios for your drama shoot."

"Well, I did finish at nine," he answered smoothly. "And I did say I'd pick you up."

"Eh? Really?" Kijima-san's eyes widened in surprise. Ren looked at him and understanding reflected at the actor's eyes. He wasn't an idiot - especially where women were concerned. Kijima-san would understand that.

"Ready?" he turned to Mogami-san.

"Yup!" she nodded.

"Then, shall we?" He held out his hand to her.

"OK," Mogami-san took his hand. Then she turned to Kijima-san and bowed. "Thank you, Kijima-san," she said gratefully. "Please feel free to pass by the set if you have the time." She also bowed to Kijima-san's manager and made her farewell.

"Sure," Kijima-san nodded. "See the two of you around."

"Excuse us," Ren nodded at the two men as he led Mogami-san away. Several steps out, he felt Mogami-san's hand creep up his forearm and she linked her arm around his. He let out a wistful smile.

They walked in silence for a while. While Ren was just happy to have her lean against him for support, he was kind of peeved to know that she was thinking about Fuwa. Although, it was rather understandable. Bombarding her with words like that would surely make her think about him, especially with how he treated her for so long.

By the time they reached the hallway that led to the parking lot, Ren was feeling resentful.

He wasn't stupid. Whenever he talked to women, most of them didn't even remember what day of the week it was. He didn't waste his time with such girls because he knew that those were the types who were more into his celebrity status than the person himself. There was just something irksome about the fact that he was with someone who made him forget what day of the week it was and she was thinking about someone else.  
He was also a little jealous of Fuwa. How he could easily say words like that out loud and on impulse.

He stopped in his tracks.

Wait a minute, he thought. Wasn't he also planning to do that too? Say his feelings for Mogami-san out loud to make her aware of the feelings he has for her. At least then, he knew when he did that, she wouldn't be able to think about anyone else. He knew she will end up feeling uneasy around him, but he could always make her realize that there was nothing to be scared of.

"Mogami-san."

She looked up at him absently. "Mm?"

Screw the timing or the place. If everyone around her was going to be reckless and spontaneous, he can do that too. "Th-"

He was cut off by the squeak of sneakers rushing by the doorway. They both turned and found Ishibashi Hikaru-san as he braked to a stop. "Kyoko-chan!" he exclaimed. His face looked so relieved. Ishibashi-san walked up to her with his hands fidgeting as he reached out for her, completely not noticing Ren. "Thank God! You're alright."

"Hikaru-san?" she tilted her head to the side. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I...?" Ishibashi-san panted for breath. "You had me so worried with the way you screamed over the phone just now."

"Eh?" she looked up at the idol cluelessly. As realization filled her eyes, she shrieked out, "EH?"

"What happened?" Hikaru-san asked. "We were right across town and rushed over here because you scared the heck out of us. We couldn't connect to your phone either."

"We?" She looked over behind him and saw the other two members of Kimagure Rock and, Ren suspected, their manager. She let out a horrified scream. She went down in a dogeza and said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you guys so many problems! You even had to go out of your way when your schedules are already very busy."

"N-no," Ishibashi-san looked flustered and uneasy about her exaggerated reaction. "It's eleven in the evening. Our workday's done." He lowered himself to a half-sitting, half-kneeling position and pulled Mogami-san up.

"But still..." she said with a lot of shame. "I forgot to call you back about our meeting tomorrow. That was so irresponsible."

They were meeting tomorrow? Ren turned to her. Mogami-san pretty much told him all the things that she worked on and she never mentioned working with Bridge Rock. Could that mean that she was really seeing Ishibashi-san? She already said that she wasn't, so... But it's not like Ishibashi-san wouldn't move in on an opening when it was there. He came here because he was worried about her, so it meant that he liked her.

"Ishibashi-san," Ren finally spoke out. As a man, he was going to make it clear to the idol how things were, just as he did with Kijima-san. "I was here to pick up Mogami-san because we have to be somewhere. So, it was my fault that she forgot to call you back about your meeting." He met Ishibashi-san's eyes and tried to communicate the message and make him understand man-to-man.

Ishibashi-san blankly looked at him for a while then blinked and smiled. "Well, it's good that nothing bad happened to you, Kyoko-chan," he said. Ren didn't know if he understood or not. "Either way, you're still on for tomorrow, right?"

Mogami-san nodded. "Five o' clock, right?"

"Yep," he cheerfully said. He turned around and waved at them. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Mogami-san bowed as the four guys walked away.

Something she was holding caught Ren's eye. "What's that you're holding?"

"Eh?" she lifted her hand and Ren saw a pouch. "Yiiiiiiii!" she exclaimed. "It's nothing! Just some weird thing I forgot to throw away."

"Mm?" Ren raised an eyebrow as he watched her toss the thing into the trash. It missed and landed on the floor. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, of course I'm sure!" Mogami-san exclaimed as she grabbed her arm and led him out to the parking lot. "Let's go. I haven't eaten anything since lunch and I'm hungry."

* * *

_Just After Sho Confessed._

Sho slammed the door of his dressing room in Fuji TV for the mini-concert he'd performed earlier for a few select fans from some contest. His cheek still stung.

What the hell? he fumed. Kyoko was sleeping with Tsuruga, in a relationship with Ishibashi and was being picked up by Pretty Boy #8 Kijima on the side? What the hell was she doing? Making up for the lost time she had when she was still a plain and boring girl who couldn't get a guy even if she tried-?

A thought came and he realized it. His Kyoko wasn't like that anymore. She was a girl who was on the brink of becoming a star. She had talent - he didn't know that much about acting but he heard lots of praise about her skill. Now that people were going to see that goddess she plays in that drama, she's going to get a whole lot more attention.

Kyoko's going to have guys lining up for her to cover a city block!

"Why don't you just go ahead and confess to her properly now?" a voice from behind him asked.

He turned around and saw Shoko-san standing by the door frame with her arms crossed over her chest.

He glared at her. "I already did, didn't I?" Obviously, Shoko-san came looking for him after he disappeared from the dressing room after the show.

"That's not how you confess to a girl, Sho!" Shoko-san scolded. Then she sighed. "Can't you just sweep her off her feet like how you do other girls?"

"Sweep her off her feet?" he said with a laugh. Like that will ever happen. Doing that won't change Kyoko's mind. Not in the least.

"Do you think she entertains suitors like that?" Shoko-san asked. "With Reino from Vie Ghoul stalking her and you being mean to her, do you think Tsuruga Ren, Ishibashi Hikaru and Kijima Hidehito act like that around her? Do it now, Sho! Right now, while you're not yet on your knees."

On his... "Like that will ever happen," he scoffed.

"It won't if you make your move now," Shoko-san encouraged.

* * *

_Just After Ren Spirited Kyoko Away._

"I'll drive," Hidehito's manager volunteered. "You had a long day. You're probably really tired."

"Thanks," Hidehito tossed his keys to him. Once he was settled on the passenger side, he leaned his head against the headrest. He did have a long day.

"That was a very interesting way to end the day," his manager continued their conversation as he slipped into the driver's side.

"Yeah..." Hidehito answered. "You really learn something new everyday." Who would have thought that an average girl with no strengths or weaknesses like Kyoko-chan would end up having Tsuruga-kun and Fuwa Sho coming after her? he thought as he closed his eyes.

"So?" his manager asked as he fastened the seatbelt. "Are you going to give up on this nonsensical pursuit of Kyoko-chan? You're going to have to get in line to do so - and you hate that."

"Are you kidding me?" Hidehito opened one eye and fastened his own seatbelt. "Now that I know I obviously underestimated her? And her stock has only risen since she has Number One celebrities going after her. It's stupid to think I'm not dying to see why." Then he smiled. "Besides, she gave me an open invitation to visit her anytime."

* * *

_11:45 PM_

"Tired!" Kiyora said as he yawned and stretched as the members of Vie Ghoul walked into the hallway that led to the Fuji TV parking lot. "We've never had to work this hard to promote the single."

"Well, that's the way it is," Shizuru said. "At least after the day after tomorrow, we have a break after our appearance at Music Heaven. What time is that thing again?"

"3:30 PM at TBM," Miroku said.

Reino suddenly stopped as he spotted a familiar pouch on the floor by the trash can. He walked up to it and picked it up.

Damn, he thought. Kyoko dropped it.

* * *

_11:58 PM_

Ren placed the hair dryer down and started at the reflection in the mirror.

This was a rather annoying day.

First, he had indigestion. Then he spent the day away from her. Then he caught Fuwa out-confessing him to the point that Mogami-san's mind was now consumed by him. Then, he learned that she made a date with Ishibashi-san. She still hasn't told him anything and wouldn't let go of being Setsuka Heel once she got into character. None of his attempts to talk to her as Tsuruga Ren worked.

He will never find the right time to tell her, he angrily thought. In his frustration, he knocked down the row of hair and skin care products that was neatly lined up on the counter.

Now, he decided. It was obvious that he was the only one who was waiting around here. The gods were not going to give him any good openings or opportunities to do so.

He straightened up and marched towards the door.

He opened it, expecting her to be in the little kitchen just outside where she usually was when he stepped out of the bathroom. But she wasn't there. Just the pot where she cooked their dinner sitting on a closed burner.

Ren spotted her sitting on his bed with her back turned to him.

"Yes..." she said softly to someone over the phone. "Yes... I think it's better this way. There's only a week left so I'm fine with having Setsuka Heel killed off."

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Sorry for the delay. I was without a beta-reader. Now, I'm without time. Updates will come in slower. I'll try to get the next chapter by the end of this week.

- I'm a little conflicted if I will let all of Kijima's hard work get paid off. He has been pursuing to see the beautiful and mature Kyoko on his off time, but it seems like a shame if I didn't. He did save her from Sho. Outbeating Ren because Ren's a patsy.

- Anyway, next chapter: Schmex. Well, this is a T fic, so not really. Sorry.

- Reviews are appreciated but not expected.


	10. Chapter 10

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Ten  
**

**Acknowledgments: **Runadaemon for beta-reading.

**Dedication:** Maddy02 - because you guessed good.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 6 Days Before White Day (March 8)**

_12:00 MN_

"...I'm fine with having Setsuka Heel killed off."

Ren's eyes widened at what she said. Setsu's going to be killed off? Why? Was it part of the President's schemes? What's with the complication? It was only a few more days!

"No need to do that, President Takarada," Mogami-san answered whatever the President said. "Since I'm making the decision on my own, I'll be the one to tell Tsuruga-san."

She was the one who decided on leaving? Was she quitting? Was that what she was thinking about when they were quietly walking to the parking lot and riding back to the hotel?

Ren practically teleported himself from the bathroom door to her side, grabbed the phone and said, "Please ignore everything she just said, Boss."

She gasped and just looked at him helplessly.

"Ren?" the President said.

"She doesn't understand what she's doing yet," Ren stated. "Please wait until she's cleared her head before she does anything rash."

"Wait...!" President Takarada exclaimed. "Ren!"

Ren hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed so it landed beside her. Mogami-san stared up at him in shock and grabbed the phone. "What are you doing?" she shakily asked.

"Me?" he asked in disbelief. "What do you think _you're _doing?" Ren angrily asked back. "You're making random decisions like this without consulting me."

"I-It's not a random decision," she answered back. "It's perfectly logical, but it's kind of hard to explain."

"Try me," he dared. It wasn't the first time anyone wanted or tried to leave him. Those times he wasn't so emotionally-invested; being slightly hurt was the strongest emotion he'd ever felt. Now, the mere thought that Mogami-san wanted to leave him for a reason known only to herself made him furious.

"Sh-Sho..."

'Sho'? Fuwa? She was basing her decision on Fuwa? She hadn't even seen him since Valentine's Day. He was sure of it because they started working together as Cain and Setsu just after.

"Shotaro found out I'm staying with you!" she cried out as she burst into tears. "I don't know how. I promise I never told anyone after the President reprimanded me about telling Yashiro-san. Not Moko-san or the couple I'm living with! No matter how much I think about it," she sobbed, "I can't think of a reason how he found out."

Ren suddenly had a flashback to several nights ago when he told Fuwa in vague words about Mogami-san being in a hotel room together.

"If people found out," she sobbed. "I'm the reason they did. The movie's marketing strategy depends on Actor X's mysterious identity, doesn't it? If people find out that you're playing Cain Heel, everything you worked so hard for will go down the drain."

Ren's breath hitched as guilt overwhelmed him. He was so satisfied with the careless words he said to Fuwa and now Mogami-san was suffering because of it.

"And it's noft ryk ivantof girb upf..." she incorherently babbled as she sobbed.

"It's OK," he said as he placed his hand over her head as he sat down beside her. "Don't cry anymore, Mogami-san, please. I promise you. He's not going to tell anyone."

"Ho-How can you be so sure?" she asked as she furiously wiped her tears.

Ren sighed. "If he ever found out," he admitted. There really wasn't anything else he can say that will change her mind about it. "It's because of me."

"Eh?" she raised her head and looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean, Tsuruga-san?"

He sighed again and sat down beside her. "Remember a couple of day ago when you were receiving several missed calls with a caller ID blocked?"

She nodded.

"I answered the call," he confessed, looking down to his hands which were set on his lap. "It kept ringing and stopping and ringing and stopping so I thought it was an emergency. Because I got annoyed with Fuwa, I told him right off that we were together and that he shouldn't be bothering us."

"But the caller wasn't Shotaro."

"Oh, it was him alright," Ren firmly answered. "He asked you about it, didn't he?"

Mogami-san looked at him as she processed the information. "Of course it was him," she murmured. "Only an idiot like him could misunderstand someone as straightforward as you."

"I wasn't _that_ straightforward about it," Ren somberly replied.

"That still doesn't solve anything," Mogami-san hiccuped. "Whether he found out through you or me, he still found out and the danger that he would go to the media about it doesn't change it."

"He won't," Ren insisted. Doesn't she understand why? Fuwa already told her the reason.

"Why?" she asked.

"Remember what he shouted at you?"

She looked surprised. "You heard that?" she asked worriedly.

"I was standing at the corner hallway when he said it," Ren answered somberly. "Anyway, what he said was true."

"You think I'm a slut too?" she near shouted.

"Eh?" He turned his head to her quickly. He has never seen her so horrified. "No, no... Never!" He cupped her chin and turned her head to him. "That is the last thing I, or anyone else, would ever think of you," he quickly added. "I mean that part before that bit."

She looked at him questioningly.

"About his... feelings," Ren answered grudgingly.

"He was feeling really angry and called me a slut and tried to drag me off somewhere to prove his point," she answered simply. Then she muttered, "That pervert."

Ren was at a loss for words and stared blankly at her. That's all wrong! he thought. Well, it was partly true, but she totally missed the point of why. He knew that she was dense and probably allergic to even the illusion of love, but he didn't think it was this bad! He always thought that it was just because she never saw him as someone she could see in a romantic light.

She completely ignored or totally missed the part about Fuwa being in love with her! Because he did, he wouldn't want anyone thinking badly about her and would protect her, no matter what she did. He felt exactly the same.

"Never mind," Ren shook his head. He didn't want to say anything that would help her understand how Fuwa felt about her. Especially since he couldn't do the same for himself. "But, as I said, I guarantee," he stressed. "He's not going to the media. If he was, he wouldn't have told you first. Besides, he never told you that in the first place."

"That's not very convincing or reassuring, Tsuruga-san," Mogami-san shook her head. "What did you tell him anyway? To get an idea like that."

He looked her in the eye. The look was so trusting and innocent. It drove him crazy.

He moved forward and she pulled back. He moved closer and she inched away. He followed until she fell back on the bed with no more space to retreat to. He stared right into her eyes and said, "Because you are my important person. How would you think I'd feel if I find out that you have other guys who are more important to you than I am?"

He watched in amusement as Mogami-san's face turned thoughtful as she actually, really thought about it. He was chuckling as he leaned forward and lightly pressed a kiss on her lips.

They were soft just as he thought they'd be. Because she didn't protest or struggle, he became encouraged and kissed her again.

* * *

Kyoko's eyes widened as Tsuruga-san's lips brushed against hers for a second time. This time, he lingered a little longer. She felt his breath against her as his mouth gently caressed hers.

Unlike the time Shotaro gave her her fake first kiss, she didn't feel threatened. Even now as he gripped her arms, she only felt warmth. There was so much warmth she let her eyes flutter closed. Then she felt herself kiss him back.

He then increased the pressure of his mouth - but it was still gentle. Then he started suckling on her lower lip when he accidentally took her clip-on mouth piercing off. "Ah," he softly exclaimed in surprise.

Kyoko's eyes popped open as he took it out and removed her ear piercing that was attached to it and, without getting out of his lying position, reached for the night stand and placed it there.

When he turned back to her, he intently stared her in the eye. Kyoko thought that he was going to kiss her again. "You're not going to leave, are you?" he quietly asked instead.

"No," she shook her head.

"Good." He leaned back down. Not to kiss her, but to rest his head just below her chin and over her heart. One of his hands possessively grabbed hers and linked their fingers together.

How can he stand the noise? she thought wildly. Her heart was beating so wildly, it pounded on her ears. This was embarrassing. She's never had a man lie down on top of her before!

And what the hell was that kiss?

She often pondered how extreme Cain and Setsuka Heel's relationship was, but this was too much! They did kiss more than what was polite. Out in public, but that was on the cheek or the forehead. That kiss... That kiss...

That was the kind of kiss she often fantasized about when she was younger and feeling a little perverted! Although, in her thoughts, their mouths were closed (no lip suckling whatsoever), it didn't last that long, it was on her wedding day and the groom was someone she didn't care to think about at the moment. So, it was really nothing like the kiss in her fantasies. She just thought that it was the same kind of feelings that she would have when she had it.

And what the hell did this mean? Kyoko thought. She already had her fake first kiss! She also already had her first real kiss from Tsuruga-san last Valentine's Day, but that was on the cheek. Did this mean that her fake second kiss was with Cain Heel? She wasn't acting as Setsu. Or was she? They had to be doing a scene because Tsuruga-san had no reason to kiss her! Although, that made Cain-nii-san into a complete weirdo now, but it's the only thing that made sense!

She felt Cain-nii-san move and she struggled to normalize her heartbeat. And they stayed like that until the two of them drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_3:30-ish AM_

GRRRRRRRWL~...

Ren slowly opened his eyes at the sound and vibrating sensation. He tried to remember what happened before he dozed off. He was lying in an odd position. He smiled when he remembered. He felt Mogami-san stiffen under him.

He lifted his head and saw her blushing as her eyes trembled. "Hello," he huskily said. Something inside him made him happy because he was getting the reaction he only ever dared dream of: she was flushed and embarrassed and so cute. His spirits soared: She saw him as a man.

"H-Hi..." she stammered.

"What time is it?" he sleepily asked.

"I th-think," she stammered, "about 3:30."

So early? He wasn't due on the movie set til eight-thirty. "Then why did you set your phone's alarm clock so early?"

She gasped out loud and avoided his eyes.

GRRRRRRWL~...

Ren's eyes widened. That wasn't her phone. Not his either. That was... "We haven't eaten yet," he realized.

Her lower lip quivered. "Nii-san, you dumbass!" she wailed. "How could you mistake my stomach grumbling for an alarm clock!"

They scrambled off the bed.

Because Mogami-san hadn't had her evening shower yet, Ren pushed her into the bathroom after repeatedly assuring her that he can reheat dinner without ruining it. He heated the pot of food and watched it intently until it looked hot enough to be enjoyable as a warm meal.

Ren opened the cabinet where she stored the dinnerware and took out two bowls for the stew she prepared. He knew he had no intentions of eating, but courtesy demanded that a girl cannot eat by herself. And with the mood he was in, he bet he could even finish off everything. Probably not, but he was feeling that way.

He was smiling through the chore. He was happy. Things could work out like this, couldn't it? he thought as he heard the shower from the other side of the wall turn off. They would come home to each other after long days of work where they will spend time together eating and cuddling until he could convince her to stay the night.

Stay the night? he smiled confidently. If he put his mind to it and if things work out the way it has been so far this evening, he'd have her moving in with him by the time they checked out of the hotel. Then he stopped himself because he knew that the girl he was dealing with was not some starry-eyed miss. Pouring out his feelings on her took him this long. Besides, the goal was to make her conscious of his feelings, not to scare her into not wanting to see him again.

He was walking towards the table to set the table and was just in front of the bathroom door when he heard her moan.

He stopped and turned to the door. What the...? She got out already, didn't she? he thought. The shower stopped a little earlier. Then he was surprised again when he heard a groan.

"Ow!" she exclaimed though it was muffled by the door.

She couldn't have... Ren thought as he set the bowls and glasses on the counter. She couldn't have slipped and fallen, could she? he thought nervously. If she did, why wasn't she calling out for help? Then he realized that whenever she was in trouble, that's exactly what she wouldn't do!

He grabbed the doorknob and yanked it open. He barged in, crying out, "What happened, Mo-"

The bathroom was full of steam, but not so thick that he couldn't easily find Mogami-san had fallen into the tub, her head leaning against the edge with her right hand in the midst of rubbing her left shoulder.

She started at him for a few seconds and Ren realized that she was sitting in a tub for a hot soak. Through the steam and ripples of water, he could make out a little bit of everything. She didn't look like she had fallen in a weird position. She was just sitting, he realized. When their eyes connected, she looked at him with a horrified look on her face.

Suddenly, he couldn't see anything. His nose and eyes became the bulls-eye target for a small, wet, square towel.

Once he peeled it off and threw it aside, he found her pulling the shower curtain over her and she shouted, "Wh-What the hell are you doing?"

"So-sorry," he quickly turned around. Looking at her just made him think crazy things. "You were moaning and groaning so loudly I thought you slipped or something."

"I was trying to soothe my shoulders because my stupid brother decided I was some kind of life-sized pillow," she retorted. Ren heard the water slosh and saw at the corner of his eye, through the steamed up mirror, that she stood up and grabbed a nearby towel. "A nice hot soak is usually a remedy for that! You're not exactly as light as a feather when you're asleep! There's a reason they call it dead weight, you know."

Then Ren felt her small hands on his back as she led him out the door. "And what are you still standing around here for? I thought you were preparing dinner. I'm not going to ask you join me or something!"

"I would, you know," he said with half-seriousness as she stepped out. He turned around and faced her. Her hair was dripping wet and her body was wrapped in a small towel. She face was red and looked so cute. It was the only thing that was keeping him from looking below the neck to imagine what else was underneath that towel.

"As if!" she hissed and she slammed the door to his face.

"In Japan, family, friends, and lovers take baths together to deepen their relationships," he joked.

"Shut up!" she cried out. "This isn't a hot spring! Like I'd ever let you make fun of me for having a weird, disproportionate body! A girl just can't get any peace with you." She ended the conversation with a click of the bathroom door lock.

Ren was certain of two things at that moment: Mogami-san had good aim, and there was absolutely nothing weird or disproportionate about that body.

* * *

Kyoko panted and tried to steady her breath.

Did he see? she panicked as she slid down to the floor against the door.

She knew that she was never going to be a supermodel, but she was pretty content about the way she was built. She was able to walk around a public bath without any problems, but _never _with someone of the opposite sex and definitely _never_ in front of someone with a perfect body shape like Tsuruga Ren. She panicked so much in her vulnerable position that she couldn't even react the way Setsuka would and by the time that she was conscious that Tsuruga-san came in there out of concern for his little sister, she was so embarrassed, she couldn't get herself to act as she should.

Oh, she despaired as she hugged her knees and buried her face on them. What was she going to do when she got out? She didn't know which was worse. Being teased to death about her body by Cain-nii-san or being NG-ed by Tsuruga-san for not acting like Setsuka.

She was, she decided, just going to have live inside the bathroom and never get out.

GRRRRRRRWL~...

Stupid stomach.

She walked over to the tub and started to drain it, got dressed for bed, and dried her hair. She cringed at the sight of the creamy silk camisole dress with little straps for sleeves she'd chosen. A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom with the day's laundry in her arms. She saw that the table was already set for dinner and nii-san was talking to a shaking bellhop. She walked over to the washer. She stuffed the garments into the tub. Since she was embarrassed to death, she was determined to play the role of Setsuka Heel even if it killed her.

"Nii-san," she called as he closed the door. "Shall we eat after I finish with this?"

"OK."

She lifted her left shoulder and rotated it as she watched the water fill the washer. It was still feeling a little stiff since she never finished her hot bath.

"Hold on for a sec," Cain-nii-san said as he suddenly appeared from behind her. His hand went to her shoulder and started kneading it with his thumb. "Does it hurt here?"

She was surprised, but it felt very nice as she felt all of the pressure points being looked after. "No, it doesn't hurt," she said in a very relaxed voice. "It just feels a little dull."

"Mmmm..." he said as she felt him slap something over her skin. She reached back and felt a medicated patch.  
**  
**The cooling heat started spreading through the area and she felt herself relax. Why hadn't she thought of this before? She turned around to thank him, but he spoke before she could open her mouth.

"I love you."

He said it so quickly. So simply and so quickly that she almost didn't quite believe it was said. However, the demons that instantly surrounded her heart went on alert before he said anything else. But he didn't. He was just looking at her with an unreadable expression on her face. She felt her demons relax their guard and her heart immediately softened.

Of course he did, she thought. She knew it all along. Because he was the type to express it with actions rather than with words, and she always returned it with actions.

Now that he said the words, she knew she had to mirror his actions and say it in words too.

She took in a deep breath and said, "I love you too." They were true anyway. "Nii-san."

* * *

_6:30 AM_

"Eh?" Kyoko transferred her mobile phone from one ear to the other so she'd be more comfortable when she cradled it between her ear and her shoulder. "Really? Me?"

"Well," Sawara-san said. "It's only a guest-starring role. The new season just started so there won't be much action yet. But the director feels that you would suit the role so he's offering it to you. It's only for two episodes and it's still a villain role."

The fact still kind of stung, but it was expected since she only had Natsu to go on and she was an evil villain. Also, she was taught not so long ago by Kuu-oton that she should never be picky about roles, especially since she's still a newbie. "I'll do it!"

"Whoa, wait," Sawara-san interrupted as Kyoko reached into the cupboard for the coffee cups. "There's still another one. Another guest role in another drama. We'll talk about it when you pass by here when you get to the office. I'm just letting you know."

"OK." Kyoko nodded, but she felt like she was floating on the air. She had more offers...

"Also..."

"Mmm?" Kyoko's eyes widened.

"Koga Hiromune wants to star opposite you in his next movie."

Kyoko knew that name. He was number two on the popularity charts last year - she wasn't sure now because she stopped checking. She remembered because he was someone who was in the way of Shotaro's dream of the number one spot. Because Shotaro had cemented his position in the music industry while the top spot still eluded him because of Tsuruga-san, Koga Hiromune has been playing around number 3 and 4 of the popularity charts. Still... "Eh? Me?"

"I got a call from his people last night," Sawara-san explained. "He's still in the process of choosing a project he wants to work on, but he said that he wants to act opposite you."

Kyoko was puzzled. "Why?" If he still doesn't have a movie, how could they be sure she'd suit the role?

Sawara-san let out a groan. "Because," he explained. "You're rumored to be some elusive beauty who has eligible celebrities chasing after you."

"What?" she asked shortly. Elusive beauty? Eligible celebrities chasing after her? Who? Her? Sawara-san was kidding, right?

"Haaaaah~" Sawara-san explained. "How should I put this...? Different versions of the Dark Moon DVD set commercials are being aired right now - one of them exclusively features Mio. Because Dark Moon is now Japan's Most Watched Drama Series Of All Time, Director Ogata-shi is being interviewed widely and he had a lot of good things to say about you. Kijima Hidehito talked about what kind of mysterious beauty you are in Kimagure Rock. The Box 'R' feature in that magazine had you and Hikaru-kun linked together. That lead singer of Vie Ghoul scored you a 10 when they appeared in a talk show when they were having a small game about newbie celebrities-"

"Beagle!" she angrily snarled. When did this happen? What show? He was still torturing her, wasn't he?

"The point is," Sawara-san emphasized, "now that Box 'R' is airing and you have a totally different image, you're being talked about now. The President is even positive that if this continues on, you'll be in the Top 10 by next week."

"Just because of that?" she asked disappointingly. Her shoulders slumped.

"What are you talking about?" Sawara-san scolded. "People would kill for this kind of publicity. I know it's not the most ideal way to be noticed, but this will get you more work." Then he sighed. "Look, I have to go. We'll talk further about it later. Don't talk to reporters yet."

"Oh!" she turned to the direction of Cain-nii-san's bed. He was already seated on the bed looking at her sleepily. "Alright," she said as she walked over back to the coffee maker. "I'll talk to you later, Sawara-san." She hung up the phone and grabbed the mug.

"Good morning, nii-san," she smiled as she approached. She held out the coffee to him.

"'Morning," he answered back as he swung his legs to the side of the bed. He reached for that mug and she smiled at how he looked so cute with a disoriented look on his face with his hair tousled. When their fingers brushed, he hesitantly pulled away, which startled Kyoko. He coughed and once again reached for the coffee. "Who was calling so early in the morning?"

"Sawara-san," she answered. Then she caught herself. They were in the middle of the scene. She was the one who started it because she was the one who greeted him as 'nii-san'. To save herself and really get into the character of Setsu, she let out a little sneeze as she sat down on her bed.

He peered at her curiously as he drank. "Are you alright?"

"I think I'm getting a little cold, probably a fever too," she answered. "I did take a bath so late at night. That was probably a bad idea."

Cain-nii-san gave her a quick glance. "I hope that it's nothing you'll die from..." he answered.

"No," she smiled as she shook her head. What the...? She already promised him that she won't leave. "I've never heard of anyone dying from a little cold." Then she stretched her legs. "Although it might get pretty bad the day after tomorrow around three in the afternoon. It would probably last until about nine though."

It was a pretty runabout way of saying that because she got out early yesterday because Makino-san was not available, she had to report to the set to shoot the scenes. It's unavoidable because her not going wasn't only unprofessional, it's be a cause of delay for the production. She could have just told Tsuruga-san outright, but they were in the middle of the scene.

A scene.

She still can't believe Tsuruga-san can wake up and instantly assume the role of Cain Heel. This must be what living in the role is like.

"I'd probably be beside myself with worry," he answered.

"So would I," she chuckled. When Cain-nii-san looked at her questioningly, she expounded, "I'd be beside myself wondering if my nii-san would spend his dinner break outside just smoking and not eating."

"Well, if you'd be worried about that, I'd eat just to put your mind at ease," he smiled.

Kyoko watched him as he brought the coffee mug to his lips and for a split second, she looked at his mouth as she remembered how she was right on that bed with him on top of her, kissing her. Because he was large, she remembered the weight of him. Because he was so lean and muscular, she remembered how he felt pressed against her. Because he moved so gracefully, she remembered how gently-

"I'm going to make breakfast!" she declared as she shot up and headed for the kitchen. She hoped that he wouldn't notice that her face turned red.

Damn Kuu-oton's instruction to create the habit of recording everything. It's not like it's even going to be useful. She was only good for villain roles.

"Nii-san," she scolded as she turned to him and found him staring. "Go get ready already. You're due on the set in two and a half hours." She picked up the chopsticks and started beating the eggs for her tamagoyaki.

"Uh, yeah..." He stood up and speedily grabbed his clothes from the closet and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Kyoko sighed with relief. Because the way he looked at her just now...

* * *

...he remembered everything from last night.

Damn his good memory! He developed the habit of recording everything to use it as reference for roles.

He went through the motions of his morning routine quickly.

Like how everything that goes on with his life, everything that makes him happy with Mogami-san would come crashing down in the end. He managed to tell her that he loved her. She felt the same in a totally different way. As Setsu. For Cain. He got the message across, but in the wrong way. That wasn't how things were supposed to be... he thought sadly. He now didn't know how to move around her.

When he moved out of the bathroom, breakfast was ready and Setsu disappeared into the bathroom.

While he was waiting for her, the President called up demanding he explain what happened the night before. Ren explained everything, not hiding his blunder for hinting what was going on to Fuwa Sho, but assured the President that Fuwa's understanding was limited only to Mogami-san and himself and not to Cain and Setsu.

"So?" President Takarada asked frankly. "Are you sure you still want to risk this? The danger of the two you being exposed is still there. There's still time. We can still have Setsuka-chan killed off if you like."

"No," he answered quickly. "I don't want that to happen."

"Well then," the President answered. "That's good. I really don't know what I can do to pull off this kind of big character death so near the end." He sighed. "Anyway, I leave everything up to you. I told you, I'm not going to help you."

Ren hung up the phone and sighed. Then he sat at attention when the bathroom door opened and out came Setsu. She smiled at him and asked, "Let's eat?"

Cain nodded as they sat down in their designated places and had their meal. It was quiet. He didn't know what to talk about with her because his head was consumed by his hurt feelings and he caught her staring at him strangely repeatedly. Whenever he did, he'd ask what it was, but she said that it was nothing. Once breakfast was done and the dishes were clean, he grabbed his things and stood as she grabbed hers. He moved to open the door and felt her fingers brushed against his. As if burned, he quickly pulled away, leaving her hand gripping the sleeve of his jacket.

He turned to her and was surprised to see a shocked and horrified look on her face.

* * *

Somehow, Kyoko thought as she gripped onto Cain Heel's sleeve, this seemed all too familiar.

Whenever they left, she would always hold onto Cain-nii-san's hand and he would always firmly hold onto it. It was always like that when they established their characters and became comfortable with the routine.

A small flashback came to her about times when she would try to come near her mother only to be pushed away. And how Sho would often leave her behind to come after him. Somehow, it didn't feel quite like that, but it was close.

Why? she thought when she managed to shake the images out of her mind when Cain-nii-san belated took her hand and they walked towards the elevators. Cain and Setsu love each other, don't they?

* * *

___4:15 PM_

"Can I?" Ishibashi Hikaru-kun asked happily.

Takarada Lory let out a guffaw at the starry-eyed look on Ishibashi Hikaru-kun. It reminded him a lot of Mogami-kun's reaction when Jelly supplied her with high-end make-up for her use as Setsuka Heel. No wonder, he thought, that he and Mogami-kun seemed like kindred spirits.

"Why not?" Lory answered. "They were the ones who asked for you. There's no conflict of interest with Kimagure Rock. And, it's not like the other boys won't be there as your guests."

One of the regular hosts of Majisuka was hospitalized for appendicitis. Since the show was shot one day and aired in another, yesterday's taping was postponed while producers looked for a replacement. Because Hikaru-kun's appearance received good feedback and he had experienced at being a TV presenter, the idol was asked.

"I'll do it then!" Hikaru-kun enthusiastically answered.

"Good," Lory nodded. He turned to the manager and said, "Toyokawa-kun, why don't you run down to Sawara-kun to give him the news. I'm sure the producers are waiting for an answer."

"Yes sir," Toyokawa-kun nodded and excused himself.

Once alone, he turned to Hikaru-kun and said, "Now, onto the real reason why I called you here."

Hikaru-kun's smile froze, then he sighed. "I knew my guest-hosting for Majisuka was something I could have just talked about with Sawara-san," he remarked. Then he looked up at Lory hesitantly. "This has something to do with that thing in the paper about Kyoko-chan and me, doesn't it?"

"Well..." Lory shrugged. In order for his family to work harmoniously, he has to make sure that all of his children are getting along with each other. "I believe you when you told Sawara-kun that the two of your weren't really kissing. You're a grown man who's not careless about these kinds of things. Because you have a very good and wholesome reputation, it didn't affect your popularity that much. Mogami-kun's aspiring for the same thing so you're actually seen as a good influence on her image." Not to mention that a popular young actor like Kijima Hidehito was also interested in her - not necessarily romantically, but he's popular enough to have people look in Mogami-kun's direction.

"I already had this talk with my mother," Hikaru-kun looked down at his hands in his lap. "She was really mad when I didn't tell her I had a girlfriend and she had to learn it on the papers. Now, she's demanding that I introduce her."

Lory's eyes widened. "So, Mogami-kun's really your girlfriend?"

"What?" Hikaru-kun looked up at him with a confused look on his face. "No," he vehemently shook his head. "It's nothing like that. I mean, I do like her..."

"So," Lory tilted his head. "You're really considering Mogami-kun? You know that if the two of you become known as a pair, if anything happens to that pair, it will not bode well with your individual careers."

"Well," Hikaru-kun gave a small laugh. "Considering isn't really the word. I mean, I haven't really done anything that would give her any idea that I have any intentions or anything like that. If I actually end up dating her, it's not going to be some kind of weird gimmick to make us popular or anything like that. I just really like her a lot."

Lory stared at the young idol and said, "Give up on the idea."

"What?"

"If you really like Mogami-kun that much, you would have done something about it already," Lory declared. Then again, the only other person he knew to be interested in her wasn't making any moves on her.

"I can't give up just like that, President Takarada," Hikaru-kun answered. Lory's eyes widened as he saw the determined look in his eye. "I know Kyoko-chan is not the easiest person to get and she has pretty weird ideas about a lot of things, but I like her a lot. I'm not going to give up until I hear it straight from her lips that there's no hope for me."

Lory's intention was to save Hikaru-kun from heartache. Now, he was positive that he will truly get his heart broken. The opportunity to save him was lost before he'd known there was one.

* * *

___Near 5:00 PM_

"...So," Kyoko concluded. "The key to ikebana is to make sure that the flow between earth, man, and heaven is smooth and fluid."

Kanae looked over to Chiori-san's side as she struggled to level the flowers on her pot. "I-I have no idea what I'm doing," she confusedly declared.

"Well," Kyoko tilted her head. "Just make three layers and try to tie one level to the other."

"Right," Kanae remembered the instruction. She quickly gave up on the idea and just observed how Kyoko trimmed the stem and added another rose to layer two. Kanae studied her movements well and decided to just do the same in the drama.

"Kyoko-chan!" another office employee knocked on the door. This time, he was carrying a bouquet of lilies. "Another one for you!"

"Another?" Kyoko snarled, rendering the employee frozen.

"Oh look, Chiori-san," Kanae sardonically remarked. "More flowers."

"Whoopie-doo," Chiori-san answered dryly.

It was one of the rare days the three of them were together. Strangely enough, flowers started pouring into the Love Me Section office. Kyoko seemed annoyed by the fact and just used them to teach her basic flower arrangement when Kanae had made the casual comment of signing up for flower arrangement classes. Chiori-san joined in to have something to do.

Kanae watched as Kyoko ripped out the card. This time, her expression changed from annoyance to happiness. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Not these." She tucked the card back into the bouquet. She set the lilies aside near her things. "This is a White Day present from Director Ogata."

So it depends on the sender, Kanae thought. She wondered who were sending the flowers. She looked in wonder at the stack of crumpled cards.

Whoever it was, it pissed Kanae off. One bouquet would be a really good meal for an entire day. Two would be groceries for a month. Three would be rent. If she just resold everything, she could have the main hall of the family home repaired.

"My!" an exclaim came from the door. "What a wonderful arrangement! Mogami-kun, you made this?"

Drat! It was the President. He had the habit of hunting them down whenever they were in the building. Add on to the fact that it was a few days before White Day, his biological clock must be going wild. Considering it would be White Day soon though, it should be the boys' turn. He shouldn't be harassing them.

As Kyoko and the President chatted about Kyoko's small background on flower arrangement, Kanae noticed that there was someone behind him. It was Ishibashi Hikaru-san and he was glaring at her. No, not her, Kanae noticed. She turned to his true target, Chiori-san, who was looking back at him. Hikaru-san shook his head and turned to Kyoko with a smile. "Hey, Kyoko-chan!" he happily said. "Ready for the five o'clock meeting?"

Kyoko turned to the clock that hung on the wall. "Yep," she answered.

"Kyoko-chan!" another office employee popped his head through the door. Tulips this time.

Kyoko looked like she was somewhere between lashing out and losing it. However, all three of the Love Me Section girls learned that outbursts against love would make the President angry, so with the grace of a beauty pagaent winner, she accepted the flowers. She pulled out the card, paused for a second and laid the card on the stack of crumpled cards. She laid the tulips in front of Kanae and Chiori-san and said, "Looks like you girls have more flowers for your arrangements." She turned to Hikaru-san and smiled charmingly. "Shin'ichi-san and Yuusei-san must be waiting at the conference room. Shall we go?"

Hikaru-san nodded and the two left.

"Kotonami-kun," President Takarada turned to her. "When I gave you that assignment to be in the drama, I hoped that you would work hard for it. But I didn't mean that you needed to buy an entire flower shop to train for it. Flower arrangement is only one aspect and flowers are not cheap."

"Actually, these flowers are all Mogami-san's, sir," Kanae answered. "I'm not really sure why. They've been arriving left and right. Some employees said they've been coming in since this morning and they're all for her."

"Mm?" President Takarada picked up the uncrumpled card and lifted it. "Who's Sho?" he asked in wonder. He picked up and another card and uncrumpled it. "This is from Sho too."

Kanae's eyes widened as the sender of the rejected flowers' name was revealed.

Sho?

As in, that Sho?

* * *

_8:30 PM_

"Mogami-kuu~n!"

Kyoko, who had just gotten inside the elevator to leave for the hotel held the door, popped her head out and found President Takarada waving his hand. "I'm coming along with you."

Kyoko held the door as she waited for him to enter.

When the elevator was moving again, he turned to her and smiled. "I'm coming along with you."

"Eh?"

"I have a date with Jelly," he said. "She's at the mobile car right now so I have to pick her up."

"Alright," she tried to smile as they stepped out and got into the car that was waiting. Because they were headed to a location that wasn't supposed to be known, they didn't ride in the President's ostentatious hummer limo and went in a more discreet car. It was still luxurious and spacious inside.

"Let's pick up Ren first," the President said. "I haven't seen him in so long."

"Of course," she answered.

"Mogami-kun?" the President began in a serious voice after a few minutes of silence.

"Yes, sir?" she asked softly.

"Who is Sho?"

Kyoko's shoulder sagged as she quietly answered. "Sho," she began, "is the reason why I requested Setsuka Heel be killed off." Then she told him everything. Just a short background of what was between her and Sho, how he called her phone and how Tsuruga-san answered, and what happened the night before when he met her outside the set of Box "R". "I still don't understand why Tsuruga-san is willing to risk having Cain Heel exposed because of me if Shotaro starts talking to the media."

"He won't," the President answered reassuringly.

"He might," Kyoko protested.

"He won't," the President said with finality. "If he was going to tell anyone, he wouldn't have gone and talked to you first. Also, based on what he said, he really wouldn't."

"But-"

"Mogami-kun," the President sighed. "You don't understand why he wouldn't, do you? It's the very reason why you're in the Love Me Section."

She got into the Love Me Section because she lacked love. She was as confused as ever, especially with things as they are now. Love never brought her anything good. Everyone she loved ended up leaving her. Her mother, Corn, Shotaro, now even Cain Heel - and he was a character! The only person who was never chased off by her was Moko-san.

"Mogami-kun...?"

Kyoko looked up at met the eyes of the President.

"Do you still want to continue on as Setsuka Heel?"

"Eh?" Kyoko was surprised. She'd been given this assignment. If she gave up on it now that President Takarada and Tsuruga-san said that she can stay on, wouldn't that mean that she failed? "Yes," she nodded her head vigorously. "It's only a few more days before the job's done so if there's no risk to Tsuruga-san, there's no need to kill off Setsuka anymore." She never gave up on anything. Even if things were difficult between her and Cain Heel right now, her job still needed to be seen through to the bitter end.

The President was looking at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. "Wasn't that the same reason you gave me when you said that it was alright to have Setsuka killed off?" Kyoko squirmed in her seat. "Did something happen that made it impossible for the brother and sister to separate now?"

The question quieted Kyoko. The kiss came right back to her mind, then the 'I love you', but those quickly went away when the image of Cain Heel refusing to meet her eyes and putting some distance between Setsuka and himself superimposed itself. Love, simply was the unnecessary thing that drove people apart rather than make them closer together. Everything had been going well between the siblings before either one uttered it out loud.

* * *

_10:00 PM_

He sat in the car beside President Takarada as he smoked his cigar and waited for Setsu for come out.

"Ren," the President began. "I received some feedback about your performance as Cain Heel."

Ren turned to him curiously.

President Takarada let out a puff of smoke before turning to him. "Ren, you're failing."

"E-excuse me?" Ren was surprised. What has the director been telling him? Why wasn't he telling him directly?

"Setsu," the President pointed at the trailer, "is unhappy."

"Eh?" Ren blinked at him. "What exactly do you mean?"

"Well, I don't really have all the details," President Takarada sighed. "Setsuka-chan happens to be a very loyal sister, so she would never admit that she is actually unhappy with her brother." Then he sharply looked at him. "But I can tell that she's very unhappy about something. Your success in performing the role of Cain Heel lies in satisfying the director with your performance of BJ and ensuring that Setsuka-chan is happy. You're succeeding in the former, but not the latter." Then he pointed the cigar at him to emphasize his point. "Setsuka-chan is a very special girl. I don't care if the reason she is unhappy is you or not. As her beloved older brother, it's your duty to make sure she's never sad."

* * *

_Almost midnight_

It was almost midnight.

She should be heading to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a big and busy day, she thought as she looked at the envelope that was on the night stand beside the hotel bed.

It wasn't everyday one would meet up with one's daughter.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Sorry if you're still waiting on this story. I'm too busy with life. I wrote it, was unsatisfied, so I rewrote it and it was 10,000 so I had to shave it off. Then it still had to go through my beta-reader. I'm gonna have to stop saying when I'll post next because I keep on not meeting it.

- Next chapter: It's another Kimagure Rock day!

- I really enjoy the kinds of reviews that everyone has been leaving for me. Not so much because I enjoy getting reviews (I do!), but because I love how everyone tries to predict what's going to happen. Thank you. Again, reviews are appreciated but not expected.


	11. Chapter 11

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Eleven  
**

**Acknowledgments: **Runadaemon for beta-reading.

**Dedication:** BrokenFacades - Oh my god Nooooo! Not her MOM! DX

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 5 Days Before White Day (March 9)**

_Sometime in the middle of the night_

Ren's eyes opened as he sat upright in cold sweat and out of breath.

He had that dream again, he thought as he curled his legs and rested his forehead on his knees. The sound of tires squealing, the blood-curdling scream and the sight of all that blood - it was too real. For the nth time, he wondered where he would ever got the confidence to play the role of BJ again.

He couldn't get himself to move so he just stayed like that for a while.

The only thing that got him out of his stupor was a little whimper that came from the other bed. He turned his head, clicked on the lamp and found Mogami-san thrashing from side-to-side, her brows furrowed and her expression like she was worried about something.

Ren got to his feet and went to her side as he tried to wake her up. "Mogami-san," he quietly said as he gently shook her.

Unlike him, who would wake up from recurring nightmares because she was always there, she didn't.

"Mogami-san," he urgently called to her. When she still didn't respond, he hesitantly asked, "Setsu?" Her cheeks started flushing and her breathing start becoming erratic.

Ren grabbed her wrist, but she pulled it away and grabbed his hand tightly around her fingers. "Mogami-san." What kind of nightmare was she having? Considering her traumas - her mother, Fuwa... there were too many for him to think about.

"Don't go," she mumbled. "Don't leave me alone." The hold on his hand tightened.

Ren lifted his free hand and brushed the hair from her forehead. "I won't," he answered.

Without another thought, he gathered her in his arms and made room for himself on the bed. She continued to whimper so he started rocking her until she quieted down and cuddled against him.

Happy that he was able to do that, he let himself relax, kissed her temple and closed his eyes. After that, he never had nightmares again.

* * *

She knew she was on the bed, but it was pitch black so she couldn't see anything.

All she could feel was his lips over hers and his hands moving down from her cheeks to her neck down her shoulders and it clamped tightly on her arms.

Because she will never have her first real kiss and her life as an actress will plague her with fake kisses, she kissed him back. She mirrored his motions.

"Mogami-san.." the whisper came as she started trembling in his arms. "Mogami-san..."

That was Tsuruga-san's voice, wasn't it? she thought. He was the only one who called her that.

"Setsu?"

Oh, she thought at the back of her head as the kiss continued. It wasn't Tsuruga-san. It was Cain-nii-san. Did that mean that she was Setsu?

She started moving her hands to mimic the motions, but a large hand grabbed her wrist as she tried to pull away. "Mogami-san."

Ah, it was Tsuruga-san again. Selfishly, she grabbed onto his hand tightly and said, "Don't go. Don't leave me alone."

She felt him brush his hand against and forehead and answered, "I won't," he whispered. Then she felt herself being surrounded by warmth and being kissed again. She whimpered as she felt herself being gently rocked until a dull ache at the pit of her stomach went away as if a tiny explosion got set off.

After that, she felt incredibly calm as she was being held gently and a soft kiss touched her temple. She clung to the warmth and let herself be embraced by it.

Seconds - maybe minutes - or probably hours passed when Kyoko opened her eyes. It was already light out, she figured from the tiny streams of light that filtered through the thick curtains.

What a strange dream, she thought. She never had a dream like that before. Just about being alone with a man and kissing him. What an airhead she's becoming, she thought wryly. When she was awake, all she can think about was how Setsu can make up with Cain-nii-san. Now, all she can think about was kissing? Annoyed with herself, she turned to her side and slammed against a hard wall.

He made a little sound as he shifted onto his back and his thick eyelashes fluttered open.

Did he have another one of those nightmares again? she thought worriedly. He had them occasionally when they started living together after the Dark Moon shoot. She would be awaken by them and she would sit by him and hold his hand until he settled back to sleep or wake up. Who would have thought that he would climb on her bed like a little boy when she wasn't there for him? "Nii-san?" she raised herself on her elbow. "Are you alright? You didn't have another nightmare, did you?"

Cain-nii-san knitted his brows as sleep slowly left his eyes. "Yeah," he managed to answer. "But..."

"But?"

"What about you?" He turned his head to her.

"Me?"

"Did you have a nightmare too?" he asked huskily. "I was trying to wake you up, but you wouldn't."

Oh, she thought. She had a nightmare. So that was it. "Well..." She hesitated. It didn't feel like one, but there was no way in hell she was going to admit that she just had a dream about being in the dark with a man and kissing him.

"Oh," he reached over the night stand for his phone. "Well," he sat up as he stared at the clock. "The alarm's going off in a few minutes. Might as well get up."

"Nii-sa-" she called out as she reached for the hem of his shirt. He turned to her with sleepy eyes and she squirmed. She didn't want the distance between them ruin the last few days they have as Cain and Setsuka. She met his eyes and asked, "Are... are you OK now? You're not mad at me anymore, are you?" Although, she grudgingly thought. It would be better if he just told her what she did that made him distant between them.

Cain-nii-san smiled and bent down. His mouth hovered before her eyes for a s second before it settled on her forehead. "I was never angry in the first place," he answered.

Kyoko smiled back shyly at him before he turned around and made his way to the bathroom. If he wasn't never angry in the first place, why was he being distant in the first place?

* * *

_4:15 PM_

"Oh my Go~d!" Mogami-san broke into a sprint as soon as she stepped out of the car and into TBM Studios. "I'm sooo~ late."

Ren sighed as he hurried along after her.

Because of a prop mishap at the movie shoot, it ended a little later than scheduled. As a result, Mogami-san was a little late with her 4:00 PM appointment in TBM. He was there for his last day in the guest starring role in the drama for TBM, but he wasn't due on the set until 5:00 PM.

They boarded the elevator to the ground floor where he will be meeting with Yashiro-san.

"Sorry about all this, Mogami-san," Ren apologetically said. He really felt bad. Mogami-san had a good record back in Dark Moon, but he wasn't sure about this job.

"It's OK," she huffed and puffed for breath. "The delay was unavoidable. The call time isn't really until five-thirty. We just always meet at four."

"We?"

She never got to answer because the door opened and Mogami-san immediately noticed the person who was standing just outside it. "Hikaru-san!" Without another word, she stepped out of the elevator. Her sudden alightment surprised Ren, who stepped out after realizing that it was also his destination. Ground Floor.

"I'm sorry I'm late," she repeatedly bowed to the idol.

"It's alright," Hikaru-san smiled at her. "I just finished talking to the producer. Anyway... let's go?"

"OK," she nodded. Then, as though she just remembered him, she turned around and bowed to him. "I'll see you later, Tsuruga-san."

Ren suddenly felt as though he'd been left out as they walked away animatedly talking.

"What'll it be?" Ishibashi-san asked. "The usual with 'in the forest' topping on a half-anpan?"

"Nope! I want a whole one this time," she answered. "Still getting Golden Cola to go with okonomi-anpan?"

"You're still getting tea," Ishibashi-san answered enthusiastically. "The question is if it's going to oolong or red tea. Oh, by the way, I'm doing Majisuka again."

"Really? That's great! For when?"

"Tomorrow at around three in the afternoon. The other guys will be there are guests too. We'll be done around six or seven."

"Really? I'll be shooting for Box 'R' around that time too..."

The pair disappeared into the general direction of the cafeteria and Ren was left to stare at nothing. What the hell was that? What on earth was Mogami-san doing here again? Again, on a Kimagure Rock night. Could it be a Love Me Section task? Ishibashi Hikaru-san and the rest of Bridge Rock are also part of LME so they have the power and authority to assign tasks to the members of the Love Me Section. Maybe, he thought, Ishibashi-san was assigning her tasks for the purpose of being close to her. But it didn't seem right. He didn't know the idol well, but he didn't seem like the type to do things like that. He obviously liked her a lot though.

"Ren!" Yashiro-san waved upon seeing him as he came into the hallway. "Waiting long?"

He was dying of curiosity. He knew she was going to be here until ten in the evening while he at nine, which is why they were going home together. "No," he shook his head. "I just got here." Now wasn't the time to be thinking about these things. He had work to do and, suspicious as it was, so did she. He made a mental note to ask her about it tonight.

* * *

_5:45 PM_

Takarada Lory had free time on his hands.

His 5:00 PM meeting was canceled because the person he was meeting was out sick. He then did as he always does: go around to the main lobby to gossip with the frontdesk girls about their boyfriends. It was only a few days before White Day after all. He just wanted to know what the ladies expected from their boyfriends - it wasn't harassment, like what one of his executives said.

In the middle of it all, his attention was caught by a woman who just entered through the main door. A visitor, and not part of the entertainment industry. Being the owner of one of the largest entertainment agencies in the country, he was used to seeing beautiful and striking women. The woman who entered was not only beautiful, she moved regally in the manner of a refined lady in a kimono - a rarity in business of creating trends and being in fashion.

Funny, he tilted his head as he studied her some more. He was certain that he has never met her before, but she seemed very familiar.

She reached the receptionist and bowed. "Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon," the receptionist answered with a bow. "How may I help you?"

"I'm here to see Mogami Kyoko-san please," the woman answered.

Suddenly, it clicked.

"Erm..." No one can simply enter the door and ask to see anyone in LME. Let alone their celebrities. "Um... do you have an appointment, ma'am?"

"Well, no," the lady answered. "I assume with the kind of work she does, she's not around?"

"Yes, ma'am," the receptionist answered. "Kyoko-sama is elsewhere at the moment."

"Then," she smiled. "I need to speak to her superior. Or, perhaps the President of this company."

Lory pursed his lips as the receptionist turned to him. He wasn't meeting anyone unless it's for something really important. Someone more important than asking the boys in the Talent Section about what they're going to be doing for their girlfriends for White Day. Still, the daringness of the lady to ask for him and not know him at the same time made her interesting. "That," the receptionist replied, "would also require an appointment."

"My..." the lady exclaimed, raising her fingers to her mouth. "I didn't think that it would be this hard. I'm only here in Tokyo for today. Either way, I think my purpose here would be considered important. Would saying that I'm family suffice?"

The receptionist's eyes slowly slid towards him again. "That would depend, ma'am," she answered. "May I know your relationship with Kyoko-sama?"

The lady knew that she had her ticket and she let out a serene smile. "I'm her mother."

* * *

_6:30 PM_

"I'm done," Ren placed his chopsticks down and reached for his water.

"Ren..." Yashiro-san frowned at him. "You hardly touched your food."

"I ate a lot earlier and had a late lunch," Ren answered. "It's only seven o'clock so it's much too early for dinner." He then stood up and said, "I'll be taking a walk."

"Oi, Ren!" Yashiro-san protested.

"I'll be back by the time we start shooting again." He gave him a careless wave as he stepped out of the cafeteria.

Why was he feeling agitated? He already knew that Mogami-san wasn't going out with Ishibashi-san. She told him so he believed her. Still, what the heck was she meeting him tonight for? Didn't they already meet yesterday?

Her presence around Ishibashi-san might be Love Me-related, he reasoned. A lot of employees in LME assigned long-term tasks for the Love Me Section members. However, from the few times he'd seen her with Ishibashi-san, he knew that they were more friends than people who were working together.

As he turned down a hallway to the studio where he knew Kimagure Rock was shooting because he met with the producer yesterday, he stopped.

He remember that guy, he thought darkly. The guy from Vie Ghoul, the guy who tried to hurt Mogami-san in Karuizawa. What the hell...? The Beagle... no, Reino!

He was standing in front of the studio door, staring at it in contemplation. Was he attempting to see her again? Ren thought in alarm.

"You!" he called out as he approached. Ren knew he was a dangerous person for Mogami-san.

Reino slowly turned his head and almost jumped back at the sight of him. "Tsuruga Ren."

"Didn't I tell you not to come near her again?" Ren asked darkly.

"I'm only trying to protect her," Reino answered.

"From what?"

Reino didn't answer. Ren could tell he was on guard, but he was taking small glimpses around the hallways. Ren had been in enough fights in his life to know he was trying to find an escape route.

He wasn't going to do anything to him. Least of all in a place like a TV studio where anyone would be coming from any direction. It was a night Kimagure Rock had a live shoot so there were more people than usual.

But he knew he had to get his message clear. He just wanted to scare him into learning. He took a step towards Reino and the singer took a step back. "I already told you once that nothing is going to happen as long as you don't come near her again," he said in a smooth, silky tone with the just right hint of a threat. "You already saw her last Valentine's Day. And you're trying it again." He glared at him. "There won't be a next time."

Ren saw understanding lit up in Reino's eyes. The visual kei artist straightened up, turned around and walked away.

He really, Ren thought, wasn't very brave, wasn't he? Because Mogami-san believed in supernatural nonsense, she was intimidated by his flash and effects. She really needed to get over that trait. Reino was only good at confronting people he knew he could intimidate and control and Ren wasn't like that.

Now that he was alone in the hallway, the only thing that stood between Mogami-san and him was the door. At least, if he entered, he would finally learn what the deal was between Mogami-san and Ishibashi Hikaru-san. He suddenly realized that the temptation was moving his hand to grab the handle.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mogami-san came rushing out, zipping past him with all of her things in tow.

"Kyoko-chan!" Ishibashi Hikaru-san rushed out and started coming after her. When the idol caught up with her, he huffed as he asked, "It's an hour and a half before curtain. Where are you going?"

"Back to the LME office," she answered hurriedly, not stopping for anything as she walked. "There's an emergency situation that I need to attend to."

What? Ren also started coming after her. "Mogami-san!" He called out as he rushed to her side. "What happened?"

"The President said that I need to go to the office," she said as she pushed the button of the elevator. When it didn't open immediately, she walked towards the staircase. All Ren and Ishibashi-san could do was come after her. She moved so fast!

"Why?" he and Ishibashi-san asked in unison as they descended the stairs.

"I can't explain it right now until I've sorted everything out," Mogami-san said. "All I know is that I need to head back to meet with someone who came here to see me." When they reached the landing, she turned towards the parking lot. "He said I need to straighten this whole thing out or else I won't be able to work anymore."

"Kyoko-chan," Ishibashi-san said. "It's the President. You know how he can overreact."

"No," Mogami-san shook her head. "I spoke with her. She's someone I really need to talk to."

"Her?"

"Who is it, Mogami-san?" Ren asked as they neared the door where the car that drove them to TBM was waiting.

But Mogami-san had already slipped into the backseat. She looked up at them and said, "Some crazy lady claiming to be my mother-in-law." With that, she slammed the door and the car moved forward and out of sight.

Crazy lady? Mother-in-law? Ren thought in wonder. Someone came into the LME office claiming that and has been entertained by the President? That was impossible. Unless...

Ren's heart lurched. Didn't President Takarada assure him that his parents took a private plane to Singapore, which was next of his mother's itinerary on her promotional tour? Her father accompanied her because he just finished his work and had free time. She couldn't have... given everyone the slip again and headed back. She already did that. She couldn't have done it a second time, could she?

Of course she could! was the answer that came to him.

Ren raised his hand to his face and sighed. Under his breath, he muttered in exasperation, "'Kaa-san."

Strangely enough, Ishibashi-san had the _exact_ same reaction.

* * *

_7:30 PM_

"Would you like some tea, Fuwa-san?"

"I would love a cup," Fuwa-san graciously answered. "Thank you, Takarada-san."

Lory knew right off the bat that the woman wasn't Mogami-kun's mother. She looked nothing like the photo supplied to him by his people when they sought her out to sign the consent form a few months back.

Once she claimed to be her mother, she quickly amended to say that she was her mother-in-law. And because Lory connected the dots based on Fuwa-san's mannerisms in moving about, speaking, and how it was so identical to how Love Me's Number One Girl behaved when she wasn't being her outrageous self, he knew the boys in the Talent Section would have to wait another day.

Fuwa-san had reservations about meeting with Mogami-kun in front of them, but he already pointed out that she wanted to discuss it with Sawara-kun or him. Besides, Love Me's Number One's mother-in-law was a big and private matter that was better off discussed in the privacy of his office. And after Mogami-kun's outrageous reaction when she answered the call through speaker phone, there was no way on earth he would let this kind of news unfold without him.

"Sawara-kun," he told his astonished manager when he just stared. "We already know she's beautiful, so stop staring."

Fuwa-san let out an embarrassed ladylike giggle. "Why, thank you. How embarrassing."

"No..." Sawara-kun uneasily stared at her. "Well, she is. I'm just having a hard time picturing Mogami-kun being married."

"Well, she isn't," Fuwa-san answered. "Yet. My husband and I have been very fond of her since she was a little girl. Her marriage to our son is a mere formality. After what he's done to her, and given the circumstances we have now, we want to make things right for her."

"Your son?"

"They ran away from home a little over a year ago here to Tokyo," Fuwa-san nodded, though she looked a little sad. "You cannot believe the kind of talk it caused, especially about Kyoko-chan. Well, she was never popular so the rumors were very bad. They have died down a bit though especially after how everyone heard that she's now some kind of celebrity. But having them marry is the only solution to put all of those ridiculous things about her to rest. Also, my son's two months away from being of age." She thanked the servant when tea was set in front of her.

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. His assistant entered, but before she could announce her, Mogami-kun appeared from behind her and exclaimed, "Oba-sama!"

Fuwa-san sharply turned to her and said, "Kyoko-chan, manners!"

Lory straightened up at the sight of her. The main star had arrived, he thought with a grin.

"Oh," Mogami-kun caught herself. Then she did a very formal bow. "It's been a while, oba-sama," she greeted. Then she greeted Lory, then Sawara-kun, then thanked the assistant.

"Why don't you take a seat, Mogami-kun." Lory gestured on the vacant chair.

"You cut your hair," Fuwa-san remarked as Mogami-kun sank down on the chair.

"I did," she smiled sheepishly. "But it's such a surprise you're here, oba-sama." She looked confused. "Did you come to see Shotaro?"

"Shotaro?" Sawara-kun's ears perked.

"No," Fuwa-san shook her head. "I came here to see you. I'm sorry it took me this long, but this is the only free time I have."

"No, no," Mogami-kun shook her head. "I understand. I'm really flattered that you took the time to see me." Then she looked at her curiously. "Um, why did you come here?"

"Well, I came here to give you this," Fuwa-san pulled out a large envelope and held it out to her.

Mogami-kun looked at it cluelessly as she took it with both hands. "What is it?"

"What else could it be?" Fuwa-san smiled. "I hope you don't mind that it took this long since I've had this for a few months now. You and Shotaro are very busy and all. Not that it would have made much difference anyway because of Shotaro's age. I know that these days, people do things that should be done after marriage and I know that the two of you are living together, but I won't have that for my children. Since Saena-san signed the form, I took the liberty of putting all the documents together from Family Registry so the two of you can get married by June."

* * *

Sawara-san spat out his tea.

President Takarada choked on his cigar.

"Hah?" Kyoko growled as she opened the envelope and pulled out a handful of documents - birth certificates, consent forms, application forms - the whole damn thing was a completed marriage packet!

"By Shotaro..." Sawara-san asked in a raspy voice. "You don't mean Fuwa Shotaro. As in Fuwa Sho? The musician?"

"Why yes," Oba-sama nodded. "But he's not from this agency. He and Kyoko-chan are childhood friends. They're practically engaged." Kyoko looked in mortification at the things that oba-sama was saying. "Since Shotaro's going to be 18 in two months, they should do the proper thing."

What the hell is this? Kyoko thought strangely. Is this a joke? She stared at the application for a marriage license. Is she being told to marry that jerk and go back to Kyoto? No way. No. Frickin'. Way.

Oba-sama turned to her and said, "Because you two have made lives for yourselves here, I doubt that either of you have any desire to go back to Kyoto other than to visit." She sighed. "The kind of work that you've chosen demands that you lead respectable lives. Two underaged children who ran away and are living together hardly constitutes that." She turned to her and looked her in the eye. "Kyoko-chan, when you left, there was a lot of talk. Saena-san was furious at me for letting this happen."

"I-I see..." she swallowed. "My... my mother put you up to this?"

Oba-sama avoided her eyes and looked at her lap. "Kyoko-chan, it's best that you forget about her. You're going to be part of our family. You don't ever have to think about her ever again. I don't understand how someone we consider to be a friend can just shove a consent form at us and leave for another trip like she has no intentions of attending the wedding. She hasn't been back in months!"

Kyoko suddenly wanted to cry.

"But she was right," she sighed. "What happened to you was all because of Shotaro."

"O-oba-sama..." Kyoko scratched her head, very confused. "Have you even talked to Shotaro about this?"

Oba-sama shook her head. "No, I haven't. You remembered how things were when you two left. Your oji-san and I were hoping that when the two of you have married, the situation will change and things will go back to how it should be."

Hah? What the heck was she supposed to be? The bridge that closes the freaking gap between separated families? Couldn't oba-sama understand that her own mother pushed her to be the Fuwa family problem?

As much as she cared for Shotaro's parents who opened up their home, raised her and taught her everything she knew, she just couldn't fulfill this insane wish.

"I'm sorry, oba-sama," Kyoko bowed her head. Because, she was no longer the girl who did what people expected of her. "But Shotaro and I are no longer on speaking terms."

"What?"

"We don't live with each other anymore and I only see him occasionally," she explained.

"Kyoko-chan," oba-sama looked at her in horror. "Don't tell me that... you've dumped Shotaro."

"Huh?" She was surprised. Her? Dump Shotaro? "No, no. It's not like that."

"You already know that Shotaro hates being treated like a baby, but he secretly loves it, right? More so because it's you and he really cares about you,"she hurriedly said. Then she sighed. "Your oji-san and I knew that we never had to worry about anything when the two of you left home because I knew that you'd be there to take care of him. He wouldn't have been able to look after himself." She looked very worried. "Don't tell me that you met someone else more important to you than Shotaro is."

At the mention of the word 'important', the face of Cain Heel came into mind. She shook her head to clear the image out because it was totally unrelated to what was being talked about at the moment. "No, it's totally different from what you're thinking, oba-sama. He was the one who dumped me."

Oba-sama raised her eyebrow and exploded in a tirade. "That idiot boy! Your oji-san and I doted and spoiled him so much, he didn't have to want for anything. We even carefully chose the perfect bride for him and _this_ is what he does?"

Perfect? Kyoko tilted her head. Now that she knew what Shotaro is really like, she knew that his idea of the perfect girl was someone with big breasts and a dynamite body. She wasn't anything like that. What they were thinking was a total mismatch! What the hell was wrong with his parents? Didn't they even know what their son was really like?

"So?" Oba-sama asked. "Have you met someone else?"

"No," she denied. This was embarrassing - and in front of the President and Sawara-san who were looking at her as though she was some exotic animal up for display. This was getting confusing for her too. Of all the people who'd come, Shotaro's mother was the last person she'd expected to come for her. And she came here to marry her off! Out of guilt because of what Sho's done to her!

Kyoko bit her lower lip and organized her thoughts about what she needed to say. "Oba-sama..."

* * *

_10:00 PM_

Ren sat worriedly in the car on-stand by as Cain Heel.

It was almost eleven in the evening and Mogami-san still hasn't returned from LME. She wasn't answering her phone. Neither was the President or Sawara-san. The only person he could contact, Matsushima-san, had no clue as to what's going on.

He jumped when the phone rang and hurriedly answered.

"Ren," the President said through the other line. "Sorry. You've been waiting an hour, haven't you?"

"Never mind that," Ren pushed the unnecessary pleasantries aside. "What happened to Mogami-san?"

"She left the office about fifteen minutes ago and will be arriving at the hotel shortly," he answered somberly. The tone of the usually jolly man made him nervous. "Ren..."

"Sir?"

"The Mogami-kun that's coming back to you will need your understanding," the Preisdent hesitantly said. "I don't think you can cheer her up with Cain's usual methods."

"What do you mean, sir?" Ren asked worriedly. "Did something happen with Mogami-san's visitor?"

"Then," the President cheerfully declared, ignoring his question. "I leave everything up to you."

"Wai-!"

Too late. He hung up on him. Ren stared at the phone then cried out, "Crazy old man!" He frustratedly threw his phone and it bounced against the passenger seat before it landed on the floor.

Something happened to Mogami-san... She'll need his understanding... He can't cheer her up with his usual methods...? Couldn't the President have been a little more specific? He'd been beside himself with worry.

Mogami-san arrived soon after. He peered through the car window, but he couldn't make out her face since her hair covered it. She disappeared into the trailer and emerged fifteen minutes later all smiles and cheerfulness when she greeted him. "Hi, nii-san, I'm back!"

Slowly, Ren stepped out of the car, intently scrutinizing her face for any sign that something was up. "Setsu..." he said precariously.

"What is it?"

"Did something happen during your talk with the boss?" he asked as she attached herself to his arm and they made their way to the elevator.

She paused then let out a laugh. "The boss and I just had a little chat."

She was ignoring the issue, Ren thought. Well, they can't really talk normally since they haven't reached their room yet. He continued to watch her face for any changes.

Once Ren slipped the card key into the slot and the door opened, Setsu dropped her purse on the coffee table and made a beeline for the kitchen to prepare his after-work drink.

"By the way, Tsuruga-san," she said when he slammed the door shut. "I never got to tell you. About tomorrow? Since Setsu's going to be out sick, I got Yashiro-san to help us out." She moved quickly as she filled a tall glass with ice and beer.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Yashiro-san and I talked about it. It's kind of unnecessary though. I'll be able to manage it on my own." At least she opened the conversation as herself.

He opened his mouth to ask, but was shocked when she lifted the glass and took three gulps. "Mogami-san!" he cried out as he stalked over to her and grabbed the glass. "You can't drink that!"

"Why not?" she asked almost angrily. "You don't think I can handle it? I've been preparing and serving drinks since I was in middle school! You don't think I guessed the ingredients of your wine jelly or your Christmas cocktail do you?" She bit her lower lip. "Setsu's an outlaw who does everything her brother does so if he drinks, so does she!"

"Something happened at the office, didn't it? You can tell me, Mogami-san..."

"Tsuruga-san..." she swallowed.

"What is it?"

"Is it too much if I ask you to stop calling me that and just call me Kyoko instead?" she asked in an almost pitful tone.

"Eh?"

"I don't care if you call me Kyoko or Kyoko-san or Kyoko-chan, -tan, -chi, -kun," she babbled. "You are my senpai so I don't care. I would just really rather not be called Mogami anymore."

Ren wouldn't mind at all. Not in the slightest. But there was something off about how she asked it. "What happened in the office?" he asked in a demanding tone.

She opened her mouth, but she closed it immediately. She walked over to the coffee table and took out an envelope. "I brought this along because I don't want anyone else to see it."

"What is it?" Ren took the envelope and opened it.

"My mother's way of disowning me."

"Eh?" he yelped out in surpirse. He pulled out a document and saw the names 'Fuwa Shotaro' and 'Mogami Kyoko' on a document that clearly stated 'Marriage License' on it. Ren wasn't sure how, but he managed to be calm enough not to rip it to shreds.

"I never told you, did I?" she sounded almost ashamed. "My mother and I are on outs with each other." Her eyebrows furrowed. "I'm not her perfect little girl. The woman who came to see me today was Shotaro's mother. She made it perfectly clear that my mother dumped me onto that jerk's family." Her voice broke as tears started falling from her eyes and she crouched into a ball on the floor.

Ren's heart was lodged in his throat. He knew as a child that her mother was some perfection-obsessed freak. It was so different from how he was practically drowning in his own parents' love that he almost couldn't comprehend it.

Feeling absolutely useless at releasing her from her pain like how she released him from his that time on the Dark Moon shoot, the only thing Ren could do was walk over to her and pick her up as though she were a baby. After he did, he wasn't sure what to do so he just walked to the overstuffed chair, sat down and let her cry against his shoulder as her legs spread across his.

As far as he was concerned, she was much better off, but he knew he couldn't say that. He knew how important her mother was to her.

"I wish I never went to Tokyo," she babbled on. "If I stayed in Kyoto, I would have-"

"Don't say that," he said. He knew what she meant, but the mere thought of it...

"And you know what the saddest part about it is?" she sobbed. "She gave me away to the Fuwa family saying that it was all Shotaro's fault and that the only reason why people are not talking about this or have reported it to the media is because that jerk's fans from home wouldn't say anything that will hurt him. My mother is pissed off about the whole thing and Shotaro's parents are so guilty about the whole thing that they want to marry me off just to make things right."

"Don't tell me they led you to believe that," Ren said. "They can't possibly force you." If he could credit Fuwa for anything, it would be taking her away from that place.

"What are you talking about?" She blinked at him. "No." She shook her head. "I refused."

"You did?" He looked up at her in surprise.

"Well, yeah..." she answered as though it was obvious. "After I told her Shotaro dumped me, there wasn't much to talk about after. I didn't even tell her that I hated his guts and want nothing more than to have him burn in hell." Then she straightened up. "Besides, I'm no longer that girl who does things because she's told to or just because it's expected of her." Almost indignantly, she continued, "I told you before, didn't I? I like acting because I want to find my true self. Not that I wasn't happy at the ryokan, but I wouldn't trade what I'm doing for anything in the world."

Ren smiled and pulled her head back on his shoulder. "Good girl."

"Besides," she continued. "I don't want to get married. Never. Ever. I'll live alone, strong, wisely, and sturdily."

"Remind me to laugh at you about that on your wedding day," he laughed against her hair.

Then she turned a little quiet. "I thought that if I become really good at acting, my mother might have..."

"Is it even worth crying over? I've known you for a long time now, and I've never heard you talk about her." He heard it endlessly as a child, but not since they met in Tokyo.

"She's my mother!" she looked up at him and sniffled.

"Really?" he asked. He was right: The reason didn't matter, she cared about it because it was her mother. Still... "How much have you seen her? Did she call you when you debuted in the Kyurara CM? Or when Dark Moon became a huge hit?"

"She..." she paused to think of an answer. "She just doesn't know where I am."

"Really?" Ren shook his head. "You and Maria-chan threw a Happy Grateful Party last December. From what I remember, you told me that you invited people that you were grateful for. I don't remember seeing or meeting her there." That woman left her on her birthday in the hands of strangers. "Did you even sent her an invitation? All I remember seeing was Kotonami-san, Maria-chan, the couple you live with, Yashiro-san, some people from Dark Moon and..." His brain suddenly got jolted. "...the Ishibashis." He brushed the last thought aside. He wanted to make her realize of all the good things about her life since she left that place, not bring up his personal insecurities.

She looked thoughtful for a few seconds. Ren knew that he was succeeding because he saw a hint of a smile. He didn't know how she felt about her mother might change, but he didn't want to see her crying anymore. She sniffled.

"Feeling a little better?" he asked precariously. She nodded slightly. "Good." He tipped her head back against his shoulder. At least for the first time in a long while, he felt like he was good for something to her. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Ren was relieved that she somehow calmed down.

"Tsuruga-san."

"Mm?"

"The beer tasted really bad."

"You drank it like a champ," he answered.

"I don't drink," she answered. "When I do it at the ryokan or the restaurant, it's only a sip and only to make sure it hasn't gone bad. Plus, it's usually rice wine."

"You were the one who picked it up," he shrugged.

After another few minutes of silence, she once again said, "Tsuruga-san."

"Kyoko," he exasperatedly cut her off. "If I'm going to address you by your name, you might as well call me by mine."

"But you're my senpai." She lifted her head and looked at him. It was really close, in Ren's opinion. "I can't really complain if you call me by anything you want, but I can't address you so casually when we're not that close."

"Oh yeah?" he turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "We live together. We eat together. We've seen each other naked - though separately. You've slept on my bed, I've slept on yours. You wash my dirty underwear so you even know my size. We share a closet - though, I hardly call that sharing. You left me with one measly shelf for my own clothes. I don't even have the dignity of my own underwear drawer so I have to share with you. Now I even know the cup size of the man-eater underwear that you're so fond of wearing. Heck, we even share a toilet. How much closer do the two of us have to be to say that the two of us are close?"

Her face turned red and she buried it in his shoulder. "You make it sound so bad."

"I don't think so," Ren let out a guffaw, feeling incredibly good to be doing something for her now. He couldn't seem to be there for her when it really counted. "So what's going to happen now?"

"I'm not sure," she shrugged. "I don't really know how these things go. The President said I can do whatever I want, but all I've doing is having these crazy thoughts about changing my name. I even went as far as thinking that I could ask Kuu Hizuri-sensei to adopt me so I can have the name Hizuri Kyoko or something like that."

That certainly had a ring to it and that wasn't the only way to get it, Ren thought, but he threw the careless thought aside. He has no plans of telling her anything - especially when he's just started coming to terms about what happened in the past and especially when he was so unsure about what she felt for him.

"Tsuruga-san?" she breathed against his neck.

"Mm?"

"Thank you for listening to me," she said. She wrapped an arm around his waist. Ren could sense that she still feeling uneasy about what happened. Normally, she would be on the ground begging him for forgiveness for being a weight burden to him. "I'm feeling much better now."

"I told you to call me Ren," he answered back.

* * *

_Who Knows What Time It Is..._

Kyoko slowly opened her eyes.

Because of where she was and the position she was in, she was a little disoriented. She moved herself when she felt the strain on her back and wondered why she fell asleep while sitting down curled up like a little ball. The warm and comfortable thing she was lying on shifted and she immediately raised her head and saw Cain-nii-san's sleeping face.

No... she stopped herself. Before they fell asleep, they were talking as Kyoko and Tsu- she blushed. As Ren, she amended. Somehow, the thought made her absurdly happy. She never thought she would become close to him. Never in a million years.

What he said about their closeness made her blush. They were so personal that it's not even polite to talk about or think about it too much. She should really wake him up. At some point when they drifted off, he ended up slouching against the backrest and crossing his legs on the table. If she felt sore the other evening when he slept on top of her, he would be too when she did the same thing.

She raised her hand to shake him on the shoulder when her eyes landed on his mouth. Then she shook herself. What the hell? She was back to thinking that again? There was something seriously wrong with her if she kept thinking that, especially after everything that has happened.

Kyoko shook him awake and he smiled at her. They moved to go about their usual routine. He looked at her worriedly before stepping into the bathroom. She smiled back at him as she opened the fridge to get something for their dinner. She felt much better than when she arrived at the hotel. Tsuruga-san really had magic in him. It could have been stronger than Corn.

She looked around the room and saw the scattered documents that were given to her by oba-sama. She frowned. Without another word, she walked over to her purse, grabbed her phone and dialed the number of a producer she hadn't talked to since the night Director Ogata fainted on the Dark Moon press conference to ask her a question.

* * *

_11:45 PM_

The insistent ringing stirred Sho out of his sleep.

"Huh?" He raised himself from lying down on his stomach and reached for his phone on the night stand. Without bothering to look at the caller ID, he flipped the phone open and said, "He-wof?"

"It's me," a sweetly familiar voice came from the other line.

Instantly, he was awake and he was even straightening his posture as though she was there and would disapprove of him slouching. "Kyoko!" He said disbelievingly. "Did you get the flowers?"

"Yes, I did," she answered. "Look, I need to see you."

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Well, I did say that I didn't like Saena. However, I have always been fascinated with Sho's mother. I always saw her as someone who liked Kyoko very much, but probably not as warm and affectionate like Juli. Considering that Kyoko pretty much grew up under her tutelage, the pre-BSOD Kyoko would have been a lot like her. Honestly, I kinda regret putting the whole mother thing to light because I had a hard time writing it that it came out being written as pseudo-academic/logical and not as emotional as I wanted it to be. I just needed a reason for Kyoko to see Sho.

- Some notes: The 'in the forest' topping on a half-anpan is macha and adzuki - it's in the manga. Also, Kyoko can get married at 16 if that old bag Saena consents, but Sho can't until he's 18 with oji-san and oba-sama's consent. Sho's birthday is May 29th.

- Next chapter: Kyoko and all the players of the chasing game are in Fuji TV. Except for Ren who is at his movie shoot. He's not sure if he'll be there on time. May take a while because the beta has school.

- Thank for all the reviews you've been leaving. I'm sorry I don't get to answer them because I've been kinda busy. Again, reviews are appreciated but not expected.


	12. Chapter 12

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Twelve-Point-One  
**

**Acknowledgments: **Runadaemon for beta-reading even though you've been sick.

**Dedication:** Jhiz - because of Koga Hiromune. Different though.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 4 Days Before White Day (March 10)**

_Around 1:00 PM_**  
**  
"Hello?"

"Hello, Setsu," Cain leaned against the wall just outside the door to the shooting area. "How are you feeling? Still in bed?"

"Yes." A cough came through the line. "My fever's still bad and I'm sweaty all over because of the medicine." Then in a whiny tone, Setsu ranted, "I want you to come home now to help me change my clothes... I'm feeling too weak to do it myself."

Ren felt his skin crawl. He had never felt so grossed out in his entire life.

He was now sure that he was going to kill Yashiro-san when he saw him again. For one thing, he was acting a sick Setsu out badly. For another, he was obviously enjoying this too much.

Because Kyoko had work in the afternoon, Setsu was "in bed for the day because of a cold and a fever". Being the concerned older brother, Cain checked up on "her" every opportunity he had. However, because Kyoko actually had work, she recruited Yashiro-san to stand-in for the sick sister. Not that he needed it since he was more than capable of acting out checking up on Setsu on his own.

"Setsu," he cooed as he eyed a pair of actors who stepped out of the door. "You know I can't leave til seven. It's only one. Just order something nice and warm from room service, take your medicine and take a nap."

"But I want you to spoon feed me~! I feel too weak to even raise my hand."

Bad characterization, Ren NG-ed mentally. Setsu was a difficult person who wants her every whim fulfilled, but she's never like that with Cain's work. "We just finished rehearsal so we're going to be shooting soon," he gently said. Bad acting or not, he had to act the role especially since people were scattering around for a short break between rehearsal and the shoot. It's not like Yashiro-san was an actor anyway. "I'll call you back later."

"Hurry back home, nii-san! I want you to come cuddle next to me while I sleep."

"I will."

A shiver of derision ran down his spine. He can't believe he has six more hours of this to bear before seeing the real Setsu again. Just to get back at Yashiro-san for doing this to him, he wanted to say something that will make his manager too embarrassed to look him in the eye the next time they'd see each other.

* * *

_7:00 PM_

"Kya~" Chitose fell to the ground as Natsu gave her a hard, sharp slap.

"Erm, Nacchan!" the director interrupted rehearsal.

Kyoko turned to the director and looked at him questioningly. "No good?" she asked worriedly.

"It was OK," he crossed his arms. "But it kind of feels like a final blow right off the bat, not the start of the bullying scene."

"I see..." she squirmed. "I did think that too. Natsu would have bullied Chitose a little more just to see how long she can stand it, wouldn't she? Maybe try to drown her a little in a sink full of water or something while the others watched..." She stared around the set, looking for something to use to improve the bullying scene.

"Right...?" the director seconded her opinion. "Anyway, it was a good confrontation scene. Just improve a little on the bullying scene." He looked at the clock. "We're running out of time. You're only here until 9:00 PM, right? Plus, you won't be back on the set til the morning of the 14th."

"I'm able to extend tonight if needed," Kyoko answered. He wouldn't mind, right? It was for work anyway. "I think I'm the only one who's leaving that early anyway."

"Yeah, but I want to start shooting soon," he answered. Then he announced, "We start shooting in 15 minutes!"

Scattered answers of yes echoed through. Kyoko went up to the girls and smiled at Maruyama-san. Her cheek was a little pink, but she smiled back. Maruyama-san still gets a little scared of her sometimes, especially after bullying scenes, but Maruyama-san's a professional despite her image.

Because Maruyama-san's very sweet, Kyoko wanted to make the scene work properly for her. Just one take, she convinced herself. She had to remove the thoughts of Cain Heel's portrayal of BJ out of her head. BJ was a killing machine who finished off his victims quickly and swiftly. Natsu likes and takes pleasure in seeing her victims suffer without actually killing them. Their characters are totally different so she shouldn't base the bullying scene after him. This was the annoying part of having no choreography in the action sequence - even Cain Heel followed some kind of guide. But he was in an action-suspense, Box "R" was a drama.

She laughed at something one of the girls said about the upcoming scene when a crew man appeared from behind her and said, "Kyoko-chan, you have a guest."

Kyoko looked up at the clock at the far wall. It was seven in the evening. Shotaro was early. He wasn't supposed to come here until nine. He wanted to meet earlier and in private, but their schedules wouldn't allow it. She didn't care if he declared that he would cancel everything on his schedule to see her. Just to make sure he won't make it sound like he was doing her a super big favor by canceling work just to see her, she asked Asami-san for his schedule when she called to ask for his number.

"OK," she nodded as she braced herself. The sooner it happened, the sooner it'll be over with.

"I thought you banned visitors for yourself," Makino-san remarked.

"Maybe it's a boyfriend," Maruyama-san cheerfully piped in.

"It is not a freaking boyfriend!" she barked ferociously, causing Maruyama-san to burst out into tears.

"She's being scary again!" she sobbed as Sudo-san hushed her.

"Yo, Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko froze at the familiar voice. It was a familiar voice, but not the one she expected. "Kijima-san?"

The actor smiled charmingly as the girls froze on the spot. "I finally caught you," he said as he gave her a full once-over. Then he looked up at her face. "I just finished shooting for my drama and I had some free time so I thought I'd swing over here to see."

"Oh..." was all Kyoko could say. She couldn't figure out how this guy's mind worked. "Well, we're still shooting so..."

"Don't worry about it," he answered as he nodded. "I understand. I'll just watch the shoot if you don't mind."

Kyoko was trying to compose the most proper and polite way to turn him down when she caught the girls' eyes and saw their pleads and threats to stay. "Sure," she relented, uneasily fidgeting. "As long as you don't mind..."

"So..." Kijima-san looked on. "This is your drama."

"Yup," she smiled proudly. For some reason, she was a little flattered that Kijima-san cared to ask. She gestured towards the girls and said, "These are my castmates. I play the charming school girl who pretty much rules over them."

"Nacchan!" the director called out to her. She looked over and saw him gesturing. "Excuse me," she bowed to him.

"No problem," he grinned at her. "You go on ahead. I'll just stay here and watch."

_

* * *

_

_7:10 PM_

"I can't believe you had us wait for you," Shin'ichi muttered. "We were done an hour and a half ago."

"That's because I'm your leader," Hikaru gave him a smug grin. "Where I go, you go."

"You got me drenched with that balloon," Shin'ichi complained. "It was pudding-filled too!"

"Oh, like you didn't like it," Yuusei jeered.

Hikaru grinned at Shin'ichi and said, "You just sucked at catching it."

Bridge Rock had just finished their Majisuka shoot. Because the shoot was canceled two days ago, the shoot was held late in order to meet the need to have an episode to air for the weekend. Hikaru stood in for one of the hosts and Yuusei and Shin'ichi were there as the idol players for the episodes. Now finished, they were contemplating where they should eat before Toyokawa-san dropped them off at their individual homes.

As they walked the hallways of Fuji TV, they passed a hallway that led to, he knew, the Box "R" set. Hikaru slowed his walk to a stop.

"What is it?" Yuusei turned to him.

"Box 'R' shoots over there," Hikaru answered.

"Kyoko-chan there?"

"She said she would be," Hikaru nodded. They talked about it the day before while they were getting their snacks. "Do..." he hesitated. "Do you think it'd be rude if I just happen to drop by unexpectedly?"

He was still a little worried about her. She called him late last night - she was already cooking because he could hear her chopping various things - to tell him that everything was OK with what happened in the office and that he shouldn't worry about her. She didn't give him the details, and he had a feeling that she was hiding it from him. She also seemed like she was in a hurry so he didn't push her. He was just thankful that his mother didn't make good on her threat to meet up with her when she'd teased him before.

"Of course it isn't," Shin'ichi grinned as he grabbed his arm and Hikaru found himself being led off towards the direction of the studio. "I've been wanting to see Kyoko-chan acting, even if it's an evil teen queen who beats people up for fun."

"Eh?" Toyokawa-san exclaimed. "I thought you guys were hungry and in a hurry to go home."

"C'mon, Toyokawa-san," Yuusei said. "This is the first time that the leader has willingly said that he wanted to see her so let him be. This is the first time I've ever seen him with such initiative."

"I heard that!" Hikaru defensively retorted. It wasn't because he lacked initiative. They just didn't understand that as sweet as Kyoko-chan was, she's not the kind of girl who can be won with sheer initiative.

* * *

_7:20 PM_

Sho stepped into the studio door of Box "R", the place where Kyoko told him to go so they can meet at nine o'clock.

He knew that she chose the place because it would be full of people and given what happened the last time they met, he could understand. He wasn't taking it against her. He was here for a new start. If it was going to be in front of a lot of people, so be it. It'll be easier to mark his territory that way - having people realize what was his.

He ignored the vibrating phone in his jeans pocket. He knew it was Shoko-san. He already told her to cancel his appointment with a music executive who was in charge of releasing his single with Matsunai Ruriko. He already came to Karuizawa, recorded it, sat through refining it with Ruriko-san, and knew it was perfect for release. All he had to do was to show up for the PV shoot and all the promotional gigs to promote it and he's good. He just told Shoko-san to say yes to all the plans they had for the single. They were the experts, he was the artist.

"Excuse me," he approached the first person he spotted, a girl in a school uniform. "I'm looking for Kyoko-san."

The girl, most likely an extra, said, "Kyoko-san is at the shooting ar- Hiie!" Her eyes became round and her face lost color. "Fu-Fuwa Sho?"

He lifted his finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. He pointed to the set to indicate that shooting was on-going.

He himself turned in the direction of the set and saw Kyoko speaking to Marumi-san (who he met just before the drama premiered) and the director.

Sho forgot about the girl who he was talking to and just stared ahead. She looked absolutely beautiful. Her short hair was neatly parted on one side and the make-up she wore made her face look radiant under the overly-bright set. He watched her expressive face as it changed from thoughtful to amused. Who would have thought that she was such a pleasure to watch?

"Kyoko-chan!" a call softly echoed through the set and Kyoko's eyes wandered as she looked for the source. A smile broke through her face and she waved. Sho turned to the source and was surprised to see Ishibashi Hikaru and the two other members of Bridge Rock smiling back at her. She pursed her lips and placed a finger on top for them to be quiet.

What the hell? Sho thought in wonder. Why is the rumored boyfriend and his court jesters here? Was she rubbing it in? That she wanted to him to see that she had some boyfriend around. But from the tone of her voice, she wanted to see him.

"OK," the assistant director announced. "Quiet on the set, please!"

Sho tried to meet her eyes as she turned towards the set for the scene, but failed. As the call to start the shoot came, Sho just continued to look at her. Someone moved from the corner of his eye and his head turned to the sight of that guy from the other night, Kijima.

What the hell was going on? He thought as he started looking around the sound stage. Kyoko was throwing him in line with the boyfriend Ishibashi and the guy on the side, Kijima? He wondered where the heck the sexual boytoy Tsuruga was. He should be here soon too. He just knew how his guileless, clueless childhood friend can be when it comes to things like this. What's more... why the hell was he being placed into the same category as these morons? He thought that today was going to be a new start for the two of them!

* * *

_7:30 PM_

Hidehito watched in horror as Natsu - the full beautiful and mature version of Kyoko-chan - smiled gleefully as she grabbed poor Marumi-san's character's hair and pushed it down in the sinkful of water.

"Once again," the girl in pigtails said as Natsu raised her head and Chitose gasped out for air. "What's one plus one?"

"Ehhh! Too late," the girl with long hair laughed as Natsu pushed her back into the sink a split-second after the question was asked. After a few seconds, she pulled the idol back up and pushed her onto the set bathroom stall door.

"Hey..." Hidehito hissed to his manager. "I thought Kyoko-chan's supposed to be playing some kind of charming high school queen?"

"She is..." his manager whispered back unable to tear his eyes off the scene.

"There's nothing charming about that!" he whispered back. That girl was much scarier than Mio - Mio was expected to be scary because of how she looked. Natsu - the beautiful and mature version of Kyoko-chan - was totally different so the effect was much scarier. This was definitely not the beautiful and mature Kyoko-chan he thought he would see!

Then his attention was diverted at the sight of Fuwa Sho - the guy who tried to drag off Kyoko-chan to... wherever the hell he'd thought of bringing her. Also, he'd obviously been stalking her since Dark Moon started shooting. That guy, Hidehito thought, was dangerous to her. Who knew what he was going to do to her that night if he wasn't there. Well, yeah, Tsuruga-kun was there, but he would have been a few minutes too late.

Ah, he thought. Tsuruga-kun. "Come with me," he whispered to his manager.

They walked away from the general shooting area towards the more isolated hallways. The studio had a similar floor plan to the studio where his drama was being shot. He knew the layout, so he just hoped that there was a cellphone signal there.

* * *

_7:35 PM_

"Wait right there, Mio!" Mizuki angrily called out to her cousin as she walked away with the kitchen knife.

Mio haughtily turned to her without saying a word.

"Why are you so mean to sensei?" Mizuki bravely asked. Then she took a deep breath and said, "He's..." she hesitated. "He's your sister's fiance."

Yukihito hugged his bag of chips as goosebumps popped up all over his arms when Mio let out a cruel, twisted smile. That evil smile shook him to the core.

Just as he thought, Yukihito proudly and tearily thought. Kyoko-chan was a brilliant actress. Apart from the fact that he was in love with her, it was no wonder Ren picked her to mentor out of all the pretty actresses around. Now, if the two of them would just get together, they could make cute little actors and actresses for the next generation...

His phone rang and he knew that it was the last call from Cain Heel for Setsuka's sick day. Yukihito grinned wickedly at the thought of what he had in store for Setsuka Heel's big brother while he slipped on his latex gloves. He'd have Cain squirming and unable to look his beloved little sister in the eye when she got home from her shoot. "Hello?" he said as he picked up. "Onii-sama?"

There was a pause. Then, a slightly familiar voice said, "This isn't Tsuruga-kun's manager's number! Some little girl answered!"

"What!" Yukihito's friend from the Dark Moon set answered. "That's impossible! I've contacted Yashiro-san many times on that number, Hidehi-"

The call was cut off and Yukihito started shaking.

Hidehi-... That voice... It was that subtly annoying guy, Kijima.

Oh no... he worriedly thought.

It rang once again and he answered normally. "Hello? Yashiro here."

"Oh!" Kijima's manager exclaimed. "Hold on for a sec, Yashiro-kun... See? I told you! Why don't you just admit you dialed the wrong number!"

"Gimme that!" Kijima grumbled. "I'm not a moron, you know. I know how to dial numbers." Then with a clearer voice, he said through the line, "Hello? Yashiro-san? Kijima here."

"Good evening, Kijima-san," Yukihito answered politely, trying to act nonchalant about the whole incident from the previous phone call. "What can I do for you?"

"Er, is Tsuruga-kun with you?" Kijima asked. "I keep getting his voicemail."

"Ren's in the restroom right now," Yukihito answered, giving the first in a long line of standard answers for his stint as Cain Heel. "I can take a message if you like."

"Jeez!" Kijima sneered. "Look..." he sighed. "I don't know how open Tsuruga-kun and Kyoko-chan's relationship is, but you gotta tell him to control his girlfriend."

"His... girlfriend...?" Yukihito echoed in wonder. "Um..."

What? Yukihito wondered in shock. Ren? And Kyoko-chan? Since when?' How come he wasn't told? Wait- This was Kijima he was talking to. Last week, the guy had Kyoko-chan paired up with Ishibshi Hikaru, which ended up being true. Or not. Yukihito writhed in agony at the kind of life he's been leading for the last two weeks! He needed to go back to work, if only because he can't stand not being on top of things as far as Ren was concerned.

"Yashiro-san?" Kijima broke through his thoughts. "Still there?"

"Um... yeah."

"So, you understand right?" Kijima said. "Right now, myself, Ishibashi Hikaru and Fuwa Sho are standing at the sidelines of the set of Kyoko-chan's drama waiting to pounce on her. I know my reason for coming here, but I don't know about those two."

"Wh-what?" Yukihito sputtered out.

"Even the other two members of Bridge Rock are here," Kijima added.

"What are you all doing there?" he asked loudly.

"Apparently, seeing Kyoko-chan," Kijima answered. "Although, now that I did, pursuing the beautiful and mature version was much better in my head than now when I got to see her like this. Look, I gotta go. Just let Tsuruga know. I'm doing this as a favor to an occasional drinking friend."

He hung up, again, leaving Yukihito shaking.

Kijima... Fuwa Sho... Ishibashi Hikaru... At the Box "R" set? For Kyoko-chan? His mind had just blown a fuse.

The phone rang again. Yukihito answered as an auto response, but couldn't get himself to speak.

"Setsu, I'm heading home," Cain Heel's deep and seductive voice came through the other line. "When I get there, I'm gonna take off your clothes and do all sorts of-"

"Oh who cares what kind of perverted things you want to do to me!" Yukihito threw a fit. He was shaking hard. "Get your ass out to Fuji TV now! On the Box "R" set! Kyoko-chan is in trouble!" Then his voice raised as he whined, "And I'll never forgive you if that teenage idol outdoes me in the art of matchmaking!"

* * *

_7:40 PM_

"Yashi-?"

What was going on? He finished his shoot half an hour ago and was on his way back to the hotel where he was supposed to sit and wait for Kyoko to come back from her Box "R" shoot. Just to entertain and redeem himself, he gave Yashiro-san his last Setsu sick call with every intention of emerging as the victor. Now... What happened to her? His heart squeezed painfully as all sorts of terrible things came to mind.

Ren's mind started panicking. What kind of trouble was Kyoko in? Why did he sounded so panicked? He wasn't taking any chances; he shifted forward and grabbed the driver's shoulder. "Take me to Fuji TV at once."

"Yes, sir." The driver was employed directly by President Takarada even if the car was LME's. It was a measure to prevent anything from leaking to the media. "However," the driver said. "I cannot let you out of the car as Cain Heel unless in the movie studio or unless you're with Setsuka-sama. The master has explicit instructions th-"

"I am going there because of 'Setsuka-sama,'" Ren answered back sarcastically.

"You are going there for Kyoko-sama, not for Setsuka-sama," the driver answered.

"What does it matter?" Ren was starting to lose his patience. "She's in trouble and I'm going there to save her because..." He thought of a word that would appeal to the driver's nature as Takarada Lory's servant. "because of love!"

"The love argument only works with the master, not me," he answered.

"What if you just told the boss that I knocked you out cold and hijacked the car?" Ren answered exasperatedly. He looked outside and he was a good 15 to 20 minutes away from Fuji. At least, Ren thought, the driver seemed to be heading in the direction of Fuji TV.

"Then the master will ask me why I didn't taser you," the driver answered in his usual nonchalant way.

Taser? Ren slowly turned to the driver with bewildered eyes. The President was crazier than he thought. He gave instructions to taser him if he didn't do as he was told?

"Although, I can't object if Tsuruga Ren-sama is there for Kyoko-sama," the driver looked at him through the rearview mirror. When their eyes met through the mirror, Ren thought he looked as though he was trying to be helpful.

"Fine," Ren shrugged. "Tsuruga Ren is going there for Kyoko-sama."

"Not in those clothes," the driver answered. "We cannot let people know that Cain Heel and Tsuruga Ren have any connection to each other. Do not worry, Heel-sama, I've been trained to use the taser well. I will not knock you unconscious. Just knock you off your feet so you don't do anything stupid that could jeopardize the whole project."

He was right. He couldn't afford to do anything foolish now. Especially since they were so close to the end of the movie project. But that or simple, stupid things like clothes were hardly Ren's concern at the moment. And he definitely didn't care to be tasered. He grabbed the tattered leather duffel bag and rummaged through his things for a change of clothes. He emptied it to the very bottom where he found and grabbed a fresh shirt, but it was something perfect for Cain, not Ren. It used to be black, but had faded to a dark gray. It also had a rip on it that Cain would wear without a care. While Ren didn't care what he wore at that moment, he certainly couldn't wear it with the kind of image Tsuruga Ren had. Especially in a television station where people would recognize him. He didn't even think that Cain Heel would be allowed to enter by security. Well, he might because he's in an LME car.

"No," the driver shook his head as though he was some kind of fashion guru. "Not that."

Ren was contemplating asking the driver to pass by a men's boutique just get the hurdle over with, but that would take too much time and if Kyoko was really in trouble, he shouldn't really care to think about clothes. However, he would never underestimate the President's men and their unknown skills. He really might be tasered and he wasn't going to be able to help her if he was down for the count. He frustratedly slammed his hand on the duffel bag, about to instruct the driver to let him go through the mundane task of dropping him off at some clothing store as they passed through a small shopping district, when he felt something lumpy in what was supposed to be an empty bag. Curious, he peered in and saw the rectangular bottom lining to ensure that everything would be flat against the surface. He lifted it and saw a lump of things inside a paper bag. A note was stuck onto it.

He picked it up and a tiny note said: "_In case Tsuruga Ren-san needs to change out of Cain Heel's character. For emergency purposes only. - Mogami Kyoko._"

She'd even drawn a cute little caricature of herself, and Ren smiled tenderly at it. Setsu always packed Cain's things because he was spoiled by his sister's nurturing nature, but he didn't think that she would have been concerned about Cain's alter-ego. It had everything: a fresh casual shirt, a coat, a pair of slacks, socks, a handkerchief - all flattened and stuffed inside a vacuum-sealed bag, loafers, a comb, a mirror, breath mints, toothbrush - all the things that Cain wouldn't care about bringing along. It even had mini-sized hair products and toothpaste. Like with all things, she took care of things before he even needed them.

Ren started taking off his coat and thought, He wasn't going to be too late. And when he saved her, he was going to marry her.

She had a signed consent form after all.

* * *

_7:50 PM_

"That was good," Anna Kazutoyo declared as the scene ended. "Print that."

"We'll be shooting the scene where Yumika will start feeling sorry for Chitose in ten minutes," his assistant director announced as Kyoko-chan and Chiori-chan moved out to the make-up artist to have their make-up retouched.

"Chitose-chan," Kazutoyo smiled at Marumi-san as she stood up from the tiled floor of the bathroom set thoroughly drenched from having her hair pushed down the sink and being sprayed on by the other girls. "You were great! Hang in there," he encouraged cheerfully. "Just one more for the bathroom scene, OK? You're not going to get beaten up anymore."

Marumi-chan shakily nodded her head and he felt true pride at the attitude that she was showing even after she'd been roughed up. She was the main star of the show after all, and she was holding her own against her freakishly realistic co-stars Kyoko-chan and Chiori-chan. He left her in the hands of her manager and walked up to his assistant director. "What's up next?" He looked over his shoulder to see the clipboard.

As they studied and discussed the next sequence, Kazutoyo started noticing that the room was becoming noisier and noisier. It was like sitting in a honeycomb full of bees with the constant buzzing.

"What's going on?" he asked the assistant director. "Why is it so noisy?"

He just shrugged. "What else would you expect when you have a predominantly female cast and so many very popular celebrities around?"

He only has two big names in his cast: Marumi-chan and Kyoko-chan. Everyone else are either steadily working actors and actresses with moderate popularity or newbies. So... "What popular celebrities?" He turned his head and froze. "Ugh!"

Standing directly opposite him was Bridge Rock; they were cheerfully calling out to, he turned in the direction they were looking, Kyoko-chan. Not so far away was Kijima Hidehito - the star of the most popular drama of the new season.

"Kyoko!" a below came from the opposite direction. Kazutoyo turned and was surprised to see Fuwa Sho - the popular singer - walking up to her.

They were here to see Kyoko-chan? he thought in wonder. He knew that she was some kind of elite up-and-coming actress - rumored to be a favorite of the most powerful man in show business Takarada Lory, reported to be mentored by the best actor in Japan Tsuruga Ren, and an actress who has shot up to an impressive level in a relatively short amount of time. And yes, Ishibashi Hikaru-san got mixed up with her in that feature for Box "R". Kijima Hidehito-san was rumored to have passed by to see her. Honami-chan also said that Tsuruga Ren-san came by one time, but no one else but her saw him. But...

Fuwa Sho?

Kazutoyo was left completely starstruck. Even he hasn't been able to work with celebrities of their caliber.

"Kyoko-chan please..." His assistant director laid a hand on her shoulder. He had always been the more sensible one. He wasn't even the least bit curious about the time when there was a problem in the Dark Moon location shoot and they were all in the same area. "We can't shoot like this and we're kind of strapped for time."

"Ah!" Kyoko-chan turned to him looking absurdly contrite and embarrased. "I'm sorry," she bowed her head down. "I'll talk to them to keep it down or leave."

The young actress stepped forward and softly said, "Everyone..."

But her soft tone went unnoticed.

The young girls of the cast continued to squeal and buzz about the presence of the five. Bridge Rock started towards her telling her how great she was in the scene and chattering among themselves about how "badass" she looked. Kijima-kun, who was the farthest from her, started towards her in long strides with a set look on his face. Fuwa-kun was almost-angry, asking, "What's going on here? I thought we were going to talk."

Everyone was talking at the same time. He couldn't decipher who was saying what anymore. Kyoko-chan, the center of all the chaos, looked so confused, she finally lost it and shouted, "SHUT UP!"

Every form of activity within earshot stopped.

Red-faced and shaking, Kyoko-chan said through gritted teeth, "Hikaru-san, Yuusei-san, Shin'ichi-san, Kijima-san, Shot- Sho," she rolled called as she pointed at every guy. "Everyone who came here for some kind of business with me, please step outside with me. I need to have a word with you." Without another word, she menancingly stalked out of the set and disappeared out of the doorway that led to the exit.

"You were being too noisy," the eldest member of Bridge Rock scolded the two other members. "Now she's pissed off at us for disrupting the shoot."

"We were not!" the one in the cap said as the three shuffled out of the shooting area to follow her.

"Tsch." Fuwa-kun had an annoyed look on his face as he followed them.

"Excuse me," Kijima-kun apologetically nodded to him, then followed everyone out.

What the hell... Kazutoyo titled his head in confusion at the silent shooting area.

"Well," a tall man declared as he stood up from a corner chair. "I guess that would mean me too." He started towards the exit to follow the others.

Kazutoyo's eyes rounded with recognition. He turned to his assistant director and sputtered. "Did you see that? That guy... The last one... That was... That was..."

The assistant director sighed and nodded his head. "Yes, it was him."

"I'm going out too!" Kazutoyo took a step forward with every intention of going after them, but his assistant director grabbed his collar.

"Sir..." he threateningly slurred. "Where do you think you're going?"

"One of my main actresses is in trouble," Kazutoyo wriggled. "As the director, I cannot let her face it alone. The safety of my actresses is my primary duty."

"You are the director," his assistant director sighed in exasperation, his hand digging further into his shoulder. "You primary duty is to make sure that this drama is shot according to schedule. We're already backlogged. You don't have to worry about Kyoko-chan. She's a capable young lady who can handle a few overeager suitors. The hallway from the actor's entrance is not exactly teeming with reporters and onlookers, but it's not isolated either. The safety of everyone on the set is the responsibility of the Box 'R' security team and Fuji TV's own security."

Kazutoyo looked around as every actor and actress, manager, and crew member stared at him. There were sixty-five pairs of eyes looking at him. Torn between his undying curiosity and his dignity as the director, he decided, sighed and announced, "Fine, we'll continue shooting the bathroom scenes with Chitose and Yumika. We'll then turn to the classroom scenes when Natsu comes back." He turned to Marumi-chan and asked, "You'll be warm and dry once we're done with the scenes. You're still OK to shoot, right?"

"Eeeh..." Marumi-san whined. "But Rumi wants to know what happened to Kyoko-san and those boys."

"So do I, sweetie," With a heavy heart, he patted her shoulder. "So do I."

* * *

_8:10 PM_

Kyoko stood in a defensive stance, her feet apart and her arms across her chest as Shin'ichi-san, Yuusei-san, Hikaru-san, Shotaro, and Kijima-san stepped into the hallway.

"Kyoko-chan," Yuusei-san spoke out as the five of them filed out. "We're sorry. We didn't mean to be so noisy in the shooting area."

It wasn't so much that any of them were noisy. However, the predominantly female cast of Box "R" proved to be disruptive in the presence of good-looking, popular celebrities. "It's not that, Yuusei-san..."

"The White Day date's still on, right?" Shin'ichi-san asked. "You're not so angry at us that you'd cancel on us, right?"

"Hey..." Hikaru-san glared at him. "I don't think that's Kyoko-chan's concern right now."

Before she could assure them that she's not that mad - and since they apologized so sincerely - that she wouldn't cancel on them, Shotaro butted in and said, "Hold on just one minute. I thought today was going to be a new start for us. There's no way in hell I'd allow my woman to go out with anyone on White Day, or any other day either." He glared at the onii-sans. "Let alone three."

"Your woman?" every guy that stood there repeated what he said.

"Wai-Wait a damn minute!" Kyoko protested. "What new beginning?"

"So..." Kijima-san turned to her. "You're going out with everyone in Bridge Rock and Fuwa Sho on White Day?"

"Huh?" Kyoko tilted her head as Yuusei-san said, "Not everyone, just the leader," as he gestured to Hikaru-san.

"I'm not going out with anyone on White Day!" Then she turned to Shotaro to emphasize, "Nor do I need anyone's permission if I choose to!"

The devastated looks on the Ishibashi-onii-sans faces made her amend the statement. "The only one I'm going out with on White Day - apart from Moko-san - is Hikaru-san!" They cleared their schedules to spend time with her. Of course, Yuusei-san and Shin'ichi-san used it as a way to get a date with their girlfriends so it's just Hikaru-san. Her Kimagure Rock senpai smiled at her and she smiled back as she continued, "Hikaru-san was, is, and will always be my senpai and good friend. Nothing and no one will ever change that."

"Ah! Leader!" Yuusei-san and Shin'ichi-san exclaimed.

Kyoko didn't pay them any mind. She'll apologize for sending them away later, but the three of them were just too disruptive to the shoot. When the four of them were together, they were just plain rowdy. She had to concentrate and get back to her job. That meant everyone had to go.

She turned to Shotaro. "And you," she cocked her finger at him. "When I said 9 PM, I meant 9 PM. If you thought I'd talk to you beforehand just because you came in early, you have another thing coming. I'm working and that's more important than you. Just like I know your work is more important than me. And based on what Asami-san told me last night, you should be working too. Don't tell me you left Aki-san to make excuses for you because you decided to play hooky."

"I wasn't expecting you to ditch your work because I came early," Shotaro raised his voice. Then he lowered it to a mumble. "I just wanted to see you, even if you were working."

"Hah?" Kyoko retorted. "That didn't make a grain of sense!"

"And what about him?" Shotaro nodded towards Kijima-san like it was his business.

"What about Kijima-san? He's an invited guest of mine and a senpai of sorts from Dark Moon," she answered. Though she couldn't comprehend his reasons. Natsu may be a pretty girl, but she's rotten at the core. "I don't know why he came today though."

"I told you," Kijima-san grinned. "You had me curious about the beautiful, mature version." He chuckled. "I can't say I'm disappointed, but I'm a little shocked at how she turned out. I think I like the average, sweet version better."

"Eh?" She had no idea what he meant.

"Besides, I'm glad I chose today to see you," he gave her the adorable smile he's quite known for. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

Now he really lost her, Kyoko stared at him blankly. All she could do was shrug and say, "Fine... whatever."

She needed to get back to the set so she needed to finish things up here quickly. She turned and pointed to the last person there. "And you!" Surprised, she found herself face-to-face with someone she'd never met before. "Who- Who are you?"

"Ah!" He smiled. "Koga Hiromune," he introduced himself. He gave her a nod as a sign of greeting. "I believe my agency contacted yours for a possible movie collaboration."

Him? He was the guy Sawara-san mentioned who was interested in working with her for a possible movie debut. She studied his face. He certainly was tall and good-looking. Of course, not as much as Ren - but Ren was in a league of his own. Hiromune's smile wasn't even enough to get any reaction from her demons. Not like Ren, whose smiles have its own unit of measurement depending on the degree of intensity.

"Oh." She politely bowed. "It- It's nice to meet you. But, why are you here?"

"Bad habit," Koga-san grinned. "I make it a point to seek out and meet people I'm interested in working with."

"Excuse me?" she blinked cluelessly. Once it sunk in, dread filled her. Oh no~ He just saw her lack of professionality by having friends and freaks over on the set. "We-well," she answered, feeling a little contrite. "If you wanted to meet, you could have just asked my agency..."

"I was not aware you prefer to work like that," Koga-san answered. "Either way, I prefer meeting people casually instead of formally. One of your castmates is a colleague of mine from our agency and she said your director's pretty lenient about having visitors on the set." He gave her a once-over. "I must say that your pictures don't do you justice, Kyoko-san."

She waved her hands in denial. "No, no, I don't usually look like this." She had to salvage this meeting or she might miss the opportunity for a debut and be shouted out by Sawara-san when Koga-san tells his agency that he's not interested in working with an ill-tempered, unprofessional newbie amateur like her.

Koga-san let out a laugh. "I'm quite sure that I'm not going to be disappointed having you as a co-star, Kyoko-san."

"Hey," Shotaro cut him off. "Wait just one damn minute here." He grabbed Kyoko's hand. "Who is this guy?"

What the hell was wrong with him? Was he deaf? "Like he said, he's Koga-"

"I heard what he said," Shotaro retorted. "I thought you were going to see me tonight! Did you mess up your schedule and get it all mixed up? Is that why all of us are here right now?"

"Oh, put a sock in it, Shotaro," she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "Right now, you're person I least like, but only because the Beagle isn't here."

"Beagle?" Koga-san, Kijima-san, Hikaru-san, Yuusei-san and Shin'ichi-san asked, tilting their heads to the side.

"I'm over here." A voice came from the end of the hallway.

They all turned.

"Yiiie!" Kyoko let out a squeal of terror as the damn Beagle peeked his head out of the corner and waved his hand. Her head was spinning so wildly, she had to lay a hand on her forehead. "This is like the nightmare that never ends," she muttered.

"'What the hell are you doing here, Beagle bastard?" Shotaro threateningly demanded as he pulled her behind him.

Feeling a little brave because she wasn't alone in the hallway - also because she was starting to feel a little pissed off about the whole thing, Kyoko glowered at the Beagle. "And hiding back there too, aren't you?"

"I can't come near you, Kyoko," the Beagle answered.

"Thank God!"

"Why not?" Shotaro raised an eyebrow. "Because I'll beat the crap out of you, you stalker freak?"

"You're one to talk, Fuwa-kun," Kijima-san turned to Shotaro. "Haven't you been the one following Kyoko-chan around since Dark Moon started?"

"What about you, Kijima?" Shotaro answered him back. "You've been following her around since Dark Moon ended!"

"What are you implying?" Kijima-san stepped in front of Shotaro.

"What do you think I'm implying?"

"Guys, guys..." Hikaru-san tried to play peacemaker.

"Shut up, you chibi-runt!" They barked at him.

Kyoko's temper flared at the slight to Hikaru-san. "No one talks to him like that..."

"Kyoko-chan it's alright," Hikaru-san grabbed her arm to stop her from charging forward. "Please don't defend me. I can hold my own in a guy fight."

She looked at him in protest. "But Hikaru-san...!"

"Doesn't anyone want to know my answer?" the Beagle chided in.

"WHAT?" The four of them irritably snapped their heads towards him.

"I'm not afraid of Fuwa," the Beagle pointed his finger at Shotaro."I just don't like pain as much as death." He moved his finger to point at her. "But if I come near you," he moved his finger just a little off Kyoko's direction. "_He'll_ beat the crap out of me."

Huh? Kyoko turned to the empty space beside her. The malevolent spirit the Beagle told her about before was right beside her now?

Then she realized that no one was paying attention to the spot where the malevolent spirit stood. They were looking past it, to the opposite end of the hall. She turned to see what they were all looking at and her heart dropped to the floor.

He was wearing the clothes she packed in his emergency kit. Did something happen? Why was he here? He wouldn't take the time out to come and see her just for the heck of it. Something must have happened that prompted him to come here, but... He was definitely the last person in the world she wanted here!

"What's going on here?" His question came out as a demand.

Dread and trepidation filled her heart. "Ren..."

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- I know it seems strange that Kyoko will be debuting with another actor who is not Ren. I've already written a RenXKyoko debut movie fanfic. That part's written under the premise that Ren is not the only talented actor in Japan and that other actors can co-star with Kyoko for her debut. LOL. Not that it matters anyway because I'm not longer writing that part.

- Obviously, this isn't the end of the day/chapter. I know I justify my long chapters on the premise that one chapter is equal to one day, but I've always been long-winded and I didn't want to change a thing here.

- Next chapter: Not until late next week.

- Thank for all the reviews you've been leaving. Reviews are appreciated but not expected. I don't expect much since I never finished the scene.

- _Author's Note: _Please don't listen to the _Beta's Note: _Dearest readers *dogeza bow* The lateness of this chapter is all my fault, as I got too sick to edit. Poor Momo-chan's had this thing waiting for me for a week or more now. V_V Please direct all complaints directly to me. I apologize. ~Runadaemon


	13. Chapter 13

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Twelve-Point-Five  
**

**Acknowledgments: **Runadaemon for suffering through my wall of text and bad grammar

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**Still 4 Days Before White Day (March 10)**

_8:20 PM_

All Ren could do was stare back, feeling very much like a latecomer in a game that had already commenced.

They were all here... he thought as he looked at them. Ishibashi Hikaru-san and the rest of Bridge Rock, Kijima-san - And what on earth was Koga Hiromune-san doing here? he thought in wonder. Then his eyes bore holes through the Beagle Reino, who was not only the biggest nuisance in the group, he was the most annoying too. And what the damn hell was Fuwa doing here too? He felt his temper rise up, but he managed to keep it in check.

He was still struggling with his emotions as he took a step forward. He still had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that Kyoko was in trouble, so every instinct he had was telling him to snatch her and make a run for it.

But his heart stopped in confusion, anger and worry when she looked at him as though he was the last person she wanted to see. "Kyoko?" he precariously asked.

No one was moving or saying anything as he walked forward. The Ishibashis, Kijima-san and Koga-san were looking at him cluelessly. Fuwa was glaring at him as though he was raring for a fight - Ren didn't care. All he wanted was to make sure Kyoko was safe.

And Reino finally broke the silence when he suddenly announced "Goodbye!" Then he disappeared behind the corner he was cowering from.

"Urgh!" Kyoko exclaimed when she turned. "He vanished! Like the denizen from hell he is."

"Is that all you can think about?" Fuwa snapped at her ridiculous statement since Reino's footsteps echoed through the hallway.

"Oh, shut up," she retorted.

"Hey," Fuwa pointedly said. "You were the one who called me up wanting to see me to talk. If you wanna talk, you can't tell me to shut up."

She asked him to come and see her? Ren stopped just a few feet away as he turned to see Kyoko's indignant look directed at Fuwa. Why? Well, he had a faint idea why, but it wasn't necessary. The idea made him annoyed. Didn't she know, he thought as he reached out for her arm, she never had to see Fuwa again?

He was startled - as was everyone was - when the studio door suddenly opened.

Girly squeals escaped through the small door crack and an authoritative voice barked, "Back on the set! We shoot the classroom scene in fifteen minutes. Anyone not there when I return is out of the show!" The door opened a little wider and protests from obvious eavesdroppers increased in volume as a man muttered, "Damn fangirls." Then at the sight of Kyoko, he pleadingly said, "Kyoko-chan, please. We shoot the classroom scenes as soon as Rumi-chan dries up. Kindly wrap this up and get back on the set."

"Ah!" Kyoko alertly turned to the man. "Yes, sir!" Then she bowed low in apology.

"I'm counting on you," the man said before closing the door behind him.

"Guys, please," Kyoko turned to everyone, particularly to the Ishibashis. "I need to go back to work. The assistant director's threatening to have me fired if I don't go back in."

"Um, I don't think he meant you, Kyoko-chan," Ishibashi Hikaru-san weakly said.

"Yeah," Kijima-san seconded. "You're a main character, so they can't do that."

"Well," Koga-san spoke up. "I got what I came here for. "He smiled down at her and said, "Kyoko-san, it's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to the next time."

Kyoko gave him a smile and said, "Likewise."

Without another word, he turned around and left. As per custom, Kyoko bowed after him.

"Sorry, Kyoko-chan," the Ishibashis scatteredly mumbled.

"It's OK," Kyoko gave them a smile. "I'm sorry too." Then she turned to Hikaru-san and said, "I'll see you on White Day?"

"You bet," Hikaru-san nodded. "I'll call you on the details."

For the briefest moment, her eyes shifted to Ren's. Ren wouldn't have noticed if he was looking at her so intently and saw the trepidation in her eyes as she quickly averted them.

"Hmph!" Fuwa scowled as he turned away.

Suddenly, she stretched out her hand and made a grab for Fuwa's jacket collar. "Hey," she slurred as her eyes glinted at him with intent. "I'm not done with you yet. We still need to talk."

Fuwa's face lit up and hope seemed to flicker in his eyes. Quickly hiding it, he closed his eyes and huffed, "Then make it quick. You have to go back to work, don't you?"

"Not here," she said as her hand ran down his arm and grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. With her free hand, she reached for the door handle.

Ren's eyes widened at the motion. She really didn't mean to take Fuwa along with her inside and leave him outside without acknowledging or explaining to him what was going on!

Just what was going to happen between them once they disappeared through that door? Subconsciously, he knew the studio was full of people, but he felt like something terrible was going to happen if he let them just go in there.

The smug look on Fuwa's face as he looked at Ren made him remember his promise.

Fate always found a way to get Kyoko and Fuwa together and her unpredictable personality was doing just that now, so he knew that he had to get in their way. He wasn't going to let her have her own way now. He needed to get himself between them to win Kyoko for himself.

He felt his hand raise to reach out for her.

* * *

_8:35 PM_

"It's me."

"Koga?" his manager asked. "Where are you? You disappeared from the agency!"

"I had nothing else on my schedule tonight so I hitched a ride with a kouhai." He stopped once he reached the parking lot lobby. "Send out a car to Fuji TV to pick me up, will you? My car's still parked at the agency garage."

"Fuji?"

"Yeah, I'm at the parking lobby right now," he said. "By the way, I've decided on the movie."

"The one with Kyoko-san?" his manager asked. "Well? Which is it? The horror movie or the angsty school life thing?"

Hiromune brushed off his initial impressions of Kyoko-san. "The romance."

"The romance?" Laughter filtered through the earpiece. "Koga, those rumors that she's some beauty's just an exaggeration based on rumors. You know that! She's a good actress, but she's known for villain roles. Her face is not something that could turn heads to pull out a good romance."

"No, I want the romance," he insisted. She wasn't bad on the eyes. In photographs, she was rather plain, but seeing her as Natsu, he knew she could stand out. And she was a more than adequate actress. Plus, if he hadn't witnessed it firsthand, he wouldn't have believed it. He knew though Kyoko-san had to have something in her that got seven eligible celebrities to fight for her attention.

"O... K..." his manager said slowly. Then he sighed. "I'm sure the director will be overjoyed that you chose to work on that movie, but he might doubt your choice in leading lady."

"I'm serious!" Hiromune countered. "In fact, add on to the acceptance notice that my condition for acting in that movie is to have Kyoko-san star opposite me. If he refuses, I'll work on another movie, but I'll still insist that on the condition that Kyoko-san would still be my leading lady."

"Really?" his manager said dubiously. "What is it about her that makes you want to co-star with her so badly? Does she wear perfume laced with tons of pheromones? Are you sure that you're not just infected by it?"

He smiled. "Maybe."

* * *

_8:35 PM_

"Kyoko-chan?" the director asked as the assistant director returned.

"She'll be along shortly," the assistant director answered. "I hope."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the director crotchily asked. "Marumi-san will be getting done with costume and make-up in a few minutes."

"Nothing," the assistant director sighed. Then he turned to the secondary actors and extras in position on the classroom set and announced that anyone who made a ruckus when Kyoko-san comes back will receive written reprimands through their agencies.

"Hey," Makino-san turned to Sudo-san and Chiori as they stood waiting by the door of the classroom. "Who do you think Kyoko-san will come back with? Ishibashi Hikaru's her boyfriend, right? It's gotta be him." Then she nudged Sudo-san with her shoulder. "What happened outside?"

"I don't know," Sudo-san sighed. "This place is soundproof. We really didn't hear much except muffled screaming towards the end."

Chiori gave Sudo-san a dry look. How could she sound so proud of the fact that she knew something? She was one of the very first people who bolted to follow Kyoko-san and the others when they left the studio.

"But," Sudo-san finished. "I really hope it'd be Koga Hiromune or Kijima Hidehito. They're both so cute in person. But Marumi-san said that Fuwa Sho asked about Kyoko-san when she was making the rounds to promote the show."

Fuwa Sho? Chiori thought. Sho... Flowers. Was it him?

"What do you think, Chiorin?" Makino-san asked.

"No one," Chiori answered. She wasn't interested in all the useless speculation.

"Chiorin, that's boring!" Sudo-san whined.

"Kyoko-san is my senpai in the agency," Chiori answered with pride. "There's de~finitely no way she'd bring anyone back inside." Kyoko-san was all about the work. She didn't care about insignificant things like guys.

Strained squeals and suppressed murmurs from the girls on the set announced the return of Kyoko-san. The three turned and were left gasping and gaping when Kyoko-san walked into the shooting area with not one, but two guys! Each of them gripping her hand on either side.

What the hell? Chiori wanted to shout out. The shock was much worse than the time she caught her buying carnivorous, man-eater underwear during the location shoot. Wasn't her senpai a serious actress who lived for the work?

"Th-That," Makino-san suddenly gripped Chiori's arm. "That's Tsuruga Ren!"

"Ah!" Sudo-san seconded. "Rumi-chan was right. It is Fuwa Sho."

"Oh my god," Makino-san said as the three trailed behind Kyoko-san. "She went out looking like she was headed for battle and came back with a hell of a war booty!" She giggled. "That's definitely something only Natsu could do."

Natsu? Chiori thought.

"What the hell?" Sudo-san argued. "You're still hung up about Kyoko-san perfecting her acting as Natsu!"

"What else could it be?" Makino-san argued.

"I'm kinda disappointed though," Sudo-san said as she observantly looked at the threesome.

"Why?" Makino-san answered. "She snagged Tsuruga Ren and Fuwa Sho!"

"Yes, but in situations like this, you would usually root for the underdog," Sudo-san answered. "Though, I could hardly think that any of them could be considered the underdog." Then she let out a giggle. "Maybe Ishibashi Hikaru because he's the shortest."

Of course, Chiori thought in amazement as her two co-stars continued to argue. Whenever on the set, Kyoko-san always embodied Natsu. Well, now that she was more used to acting her out on command, she'd become more relaxed about it, but to act like Natsu... Natsu only wanted and got the best. How much better could she get with Japan's Number One actor and Japan's Number One musician?

Chiori suddenly developed a new level of respect for her senpai. She was definitely the best.

* * *

_8:35 PM_

"What just happened?" Shin'ichi stared at the closed door.

"I don't know," Yuusei answered. "All I remember was Kyoko-chan grabbing Fuwa-kun, then Tsuruga-san grabbed her hand and said..."

"...'You're not going anywhere without me,'" the leader finished.

"The husband came in late but still managed to have the last word with the wife," Kijima-kun remarked.

"They're married?" Bridge Rock exclaimed.

Kijima-san looked at them in surprise. "They are?"

"Well..." the leader looked confused. "You said that they were..."

Shin'ichi suddenly remembered yesterday. An hour or so before curtain at Kimagure Rock, Kyoko-chan excused herself from the set after the President talked with the producer. The leader chased after her for an explanation and came back in near tears because he said Kyoko-chan said that his mother came to LME and claimed to be her mother-in-law. He was rolling in embarrassment around the dressing room, but that turned out to be a misunderstanding when it wasn't really his mother. Incidentally, the leader said that Tsuruga-san was also there and had the exact same reaction as he did. So did that mean...?

"I don't know..." Kijima-kun shakily answered. Then he pointed at the leader's face. "I mean, I saw her on the set of Kimagure Rock when I was a guest! And you were photographed together kissing. And you're going out on White Day!"

"White Day's supposed to be their first date," Yuusei interjected.

"Then last week," Kijima-kun continued looking more and more confused. "She hated Fuwa-kun and she was with Tsuruga-kun. And now, it was Fuwa and Tsuruga... I'm confused."

"You're also dumped," Shin'ichi pointed out.

"Dumped?" Kijima-kun let out a snort. "Me? That's impossible!" he declared indignantly. "I was not dumped!" He pointed at Shin'ichi. "I'm only here to see the full beautiful and mature version of Kyoko-chan! And I didn't even like that version as much as the original." Then he let out a humorless laugh. "I'm even the one who called Tsuruga-kun to come here." Then he turned to them. "And I don't get dumped by seventeen-year old starlets!" His laughter died down and he asked in a weak tone as he turned to the door. "I'm not allowed inside anymore, am I?" Then he started banging the door. "Kyoko-chan! Open up! My manager's still inside!"

"Oh no!" the leader cried out. "Toyokawa-san's left inside too!"

"Guys," Yuusei said calmly. "It's not like the door's locked or anything."

"I think," Shin'ichi concluded. "Being dumped by Kyoko-san broke their brain."

"The leader's not dumped!" Yuusei retorted, looking indignant about the possibility.

Shin'ichi sighed resignedly as he mentally chalked up the casualties to three.

* * *

_8:35 PM_

Kyoko was obviously surprised when every pair of eyes on the set was looking at her with curiosity.

Then Sho felt tugging in his hand again. Kyoko was trying to get free of his grip.

No way, Sho thought possessively as he tightened his grip on her hand. Not after all the struggle he went through just to catch a hold of her hand when all she wanted to do was to hold onto his jacket sleeve. If she wanted to free up a hand, she should try the other one since Tsuruga clung to it like a little boy just before he and Kyoko could disappear into the studio.

Failing to do so, she pleadingly called. "Five minutes, director! I just need five minutes."

Before Sho could react, he and Tsuruga were pulled off towards the dressing room area. He glared at Tsuruga who showed no sign of leaving them alone. Then again, if he witnessed his reconciliation with Kyoko, maybe he would finally admit defeat and leave her alone. Suddenly, he didn't know which he preferred.

They kept walking and finally stopped in front of the door where the dressing rooms were designated.

Again, she wriggled her hands. Sho tightened his grip again.

"Yo-You're hurting my hand," she said, not hiding a wince.

"Let go," he told Tsuruga, tugging Kyoko to his side. "You're hurting her."

"You let go," Tsuruga bit back, tugging Kyoko back.

They glared at each other, both intending to become the victor. Only when Kyoko finally let out a strangled whimper did both of them release her hands.

When she was free, she backed from them, looking like a rabbit that had been cornered. He and Tsuruga precariously followed her. "Kyoko..." they gently said in unison.

Crap, Sho thought. She looked absolutely terrified. She retreated into a room, but not before she pulled Sho by the collar, and closed the door behind them.

"Kyoko..." Tsuruga called from the other side of the door. The doorknob started shaking. "Kyoko!"

Sho felt like he won.

Not quite, he stopped himself. He had to make sure that he and Kyoko were on the same page. Sho knew it wasn't going to be easy, but he endured a year of being hated. He was going to turn it around even if she was biting and screaming. For her, he had all the patience in the world.

"He-Hey!" he snarled impatiently when she turned her back on him.

She walked across the waiting area to where her purse was placed and pulled out something. She looked at him and somberly said, "Oba-sama came by yesterday..."

"Ofukuro?" He blinked at her in disbelief. She was here? "Where is she?"

"I don't know," she shook her head. She started walking towards him. "Maybe back in Kyoto?" When she was near enough, she handed him an envelope. "She wanted me to give you this."

"Wh-What is it?" Sho took it from her and opened it.

"Just some stuff," she shrugged. "Birth certificates, school records - your grades suck by the way. Especially in English."

Sho ran through it hopefully, but it was just papers. Nothing. No message from home - no 'I'm sorry we ever doubted you' or 'Please come home'. Then the last one caught his eye. A consent letter for a minor to marry stamped with the family hanko written in his mothers legible handwriting. It stated that permission was being given for him to marry Mogami Kyoko.

That was all the message from home he needed...

The jingling of the doorknob finally stopped and was finally replaced with thumping. It came again and again and again as Tsuruga was still trying to open the door.

"AAARGH!" he cried out, sneering at the door.

"That's all," she said, emotionlessly. "I'm going back to work."

She walked towards the door and just as she was passing by him, he grabbed her shoulder. "Hold it," he said. He pulled out the consent letter and held it up to her face. "You have one too, don't you? A consent letter?"

"Th-That's none of your business!"

"Sure it is!" Sho retorted. "Ofukuro wouldn't do this unless Saena-oba-san gave her one! She's been waiting for that day since we were five!" Then almost angrily, he asked, "That old bag didn't come here too, did she?"

Kyoko's most annoying trait surface. "Don't call my mother that!" Misplaced loyalty.

"That doesn't matter anymore!" Sho retorted in a loud voice. "In a few months, when I can finally use this," he shook the letter of consent, "she stops being your mother because you'll have mine!"

She suddenly looked confused. "Huh?'

"Marry me!"

The thumping against the door suddenly stopped. Loud banging replaced it and Tsuruga started calling out, "Kyoko!"

The statement surprised him just as much as it surprised her. All day long, he wasn't sure how he was supposed to say the things that needed to be said. He knew she hated him, but it would be a hell of a job to convince her otherwise. Shoko-san was right about everyone showing off their nice side to her- Ishibashi, Kijima, Hiromune... Reino, whatever that weirdo was doing was probably his nice side. His only disappointment was Tsuruga - the only one he considered as his true rival for Kyoko has resorted to using his body and stupid sex appeal - which a lot of girls admittedly claim to be a nice side of his.

Who would have thought that his parents would be the ones to provide him with his nice card? Kyoko has always adored and wanted to join his family.

"Huh?" she looked at him strangely.

"I mean it, Kyoko," he stared her right in the eye. "I want to marry you."

The jiggling of the doorknob started again.

Her eyes slowly softened and she let out a smile. "Oh, Shotaro, you know that's not true."

"Sure it is!" He answered back. "Don't belittle me!"

"You can't want to spend the rest of your life with someone you just want to torture," she said.

"Torture?" Sho said incredulously. "No, stupid! I want to marry you because I love you. Why the hell do you think I keep coming back into your life when I have no reason to?"

"Because you still have it your head that I belong to you," she answered. "All you seem to make me do is hate you more and more."

"It's not like that," Sho countered. "I wanted you to hate me because I wanted to make sure you never forget me and you're always thinking of me! That'd buy me time until you can accept the fact that I'm in love with you."

"Well, you really have a stupid way of showing it!"

"Damn straight!" Sho argued. "We're in show business, damn it! Do you have any idea how many guys are after you now? In case you haven't noticed, lots!"

"Eh? Now you're just making stuff up!"

Sho was taken aback. No matter how much he tried to steer the conversation to his point, Kyoko was outmaneuvering him with her off comments. "Whatever. My point is I had no other way to make sure I'd always be on your mind. If hating me was the way, so be it."

The thumping started again. This time, it was harder and more forceful.

"You don't get it, do you, Sho?" she looked up at him. "Whatever you did, it worked. I still hate you. The problem is I don't think much of you anymore. I have more things and more people who are much more important in my life. I have acting. I'm someone's best friend. I'm someone's sister... I have a family, crazy bosses, a brother, a friend - all the things that you were supposed to be when you were still the center of my universe. Back then, I had no one to measure you up to. Now, I hardly think about you."

She never said anything about a lover. "What about Tsuruga?" he glared at her.

"What ab-"

The door finally gave in. It flew open and one of the hinges slid across the floor. Sho and Kyoko turned and saw Tsuruga - who was poised as though he kicked it.

Kyoko's breath started hitching audibly as her face turned pale. Sho was baffled by her reaction, but was surprised at the sight of Tsuruga. Well, he knew it was him, but this was unlike the smooth cool pretty boy he's known for. It was like the time in Karuizawa only several times beyond that.

"B..." Kyoko started rambling. "B... B... Re... Ren..."

So this was the time and the place and the method. Inside a girl show's studio waiting room and with fists. He poised himself to stand his ground. It kind of lacked finesse for two celebrities who prided themselves on their cool images to have to settle things like this. He had declared war against Tsuruga last Valentine's Day. After all, it's not like he didn't know how to fight.

He wasn't going to be the first one to attack though. Kyoko would blame him for starting it. Surely, it had to come from Tsuruga.

"Sh-Shotaro..." Kyoko shakily hissed. "Don't."

"What?" Sho said without taking his eyes off Tsuruga. "You want to see a better way of proving myself? Watch."

"You're not going to win," she answered.

Sho's eyes narrowed as he felt the first chink on his armor. "What?"

She looked up at him. "No matter what you do, you're not going to win."

Sho started to glower at her. "Are you saying that I don't know how to fight?"

"I'm saying," she answered. "If it's against him... Between the two of you, he's going to win."

Something was hurting inside his heart. "How can you be so sure about that?" He had no plans of backing down. He was going to win Kyoko.

"Because," she said. "I know it in my heart. He's not going to lose to you."

Sho was dumbfounded. He was being rejected. It hurt. Because he wasn't expecting to lose.

"Umm..." a crewman timidly stuck his head as he observed the tense atmosphere. "Kyo-Kyoko-chan? We're shoo-shooting in a few minutes," the crewman nervously answered. Then he bolted suddenly.

Sho straightened up.

"Shotaro?"

"Go back to work," Sho was suddenly not feeling up to the fight. "Don't think for a second that I'm not coming back. You know how I feel now. I'm going to win you back." Then with the little spirit he had left, he pointed at her. "Starting tomorrow, I'm going to tell the whole world. That you're the girl that I love."

"Oh, like your agency will ever let you," she answered.

"Expect songs too."

"Please don't," she said. "Your career will tank."

"My Christmas single for you was at number one until my January single pushed it down to number two."

"Huh?"

* * *

_8:45 PM_

That annoying brat said something to Kyoko that seemed to be a cause for concern for her. He couldn't quite hear it because his own thoughts were arguing wth the demon that took over.

Even if he made that vow never to hurt anyone again, he knew one wrong move from Fuwa and he might do something he'd regret. After, he didn't know if he could stop himself from resenting Kyoko for it.

Fuwa took a step towards him and he braced himself. He wasn't going to do anything until Fuwa did something. He'd always been more reactive then offensive.

"Don't fool yourself," he whispered when they were standing side-by-side. "She's just with you because of your body."

Somehow, that broke him out of his stupor. The demon disappeared because he was so baffled with what Fuwa said.

Ren slowly turned his head to him and answered, "Oh, I wish."

Fuwa let out a sound of annoyance and walked off. Ren knew that it wouldn't be the last time they would see each other in a similar scenario.

Ren let out a breath of relief. For now at least, he was able to hold out on his own. He wasn't sure about and wasn't looking forward to a next time.

He then turned to Kyoko and was taken aback at the sight. She was timidly looking at him, trembling like a leaf. Precariously, he said, "Kyoko?"

"I'M SO SORRY!" Kyoko dropped onto the ground in a dogeza, which startled Ren. "You came by today and not only have I been rude to you, but I demonstrated my lack of professionalism by prioritizing my personal life and letting it interfere with my work. But I promise, there is a logical explanation to it. I'm just not sure if you're going to accept it."

"Eh?" She thought that even though it was obvious as to the reason he came?

He walked up, knelt down in front of her and reached out for her head. She flinched as he did so and Ren's stomach sank. Damn, he scared her again. He lost himself to anger and frightened her again.

"Kyoko..." he sighed as he started stroking her hair.

"I- I-" she stammered.

"You have to get back to work, don't you?"

"Eh?" Slowly, he raised her head. "Ren, you're not mad?"

"Not at you," he reassured her.

"But... But..." she started. "I'm supposed to be working and had persona-"

He didn't need to hear it. He only saw the ending of what happened, but he could pretty much figure everything out. "They're waiting for you on the set, aren't they"?"

Instantly, she sat up straight. "Ah! You're right!" She slowly stood up and started smoothing her clothes.

Ren smiled as he stood. She was lightly patting her cheeks as she hyped herself up to get back to work.

She looked a little pale- Ren hoped it was because of the craziness that just happened, but his heart ached knowing it was because he frightened her.

"Oh no..." Her eyebrows suddenly furrowed and her face looked troubled again.

"What is it?"

She looked up at him worriedly, but didn't say what it was. She bit her lower lip in concentration. "Ren..."

"Mm?"

Out of nowhere, she cupped his face between her hands and lifted herself on her toes. Before Ren realized what she was going to do, she softly pressed a kiss on his lips.

When he had finally realized what she was doing, she'd pressed herself closer to deepen the kiss, mimicking the one they had the other night.

What was goin-? Ren didn't finish the thought as he finally let himself go, closed his eyes and kissed her back.

He was moving in to pull her closer when she pulled herself away and took a step back, to where Ren ended up kissing the air.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and discovered that he was looking at things very differently.

His vision was a little hazy and he was sure he was seeing stars. Kyoko stood in front of him. She looked so beautiful as she clapped her hands onto her cheeks. A smile was dancing on her face. The shorter part of her hair was falling on her forehead. And the Princess Rosa hung from her neck and settled on between her collarbone.

At that moment, he was sure that she belonged to him.

Ren knew then and there, he was in love with her, they were going to start with a honeymoon and then he was going to marry her - he knew it worked the other way around but he was willing to be flexible because it was late and the municipal office was closed. Then, he was going to be her slave forever.

"Allllllrightie!" she confidently smiled. "I'm heading back to work!" After a quick bow, she turned around and strutted out of the waiting room.

All Ren could do was to look after her. He was, he thought, going to give her his heart and everything and anything she could ever want.

* * *

_8:50 PM_

"Rumi-chan?" her manager peeked through the dressing room door. "Are you done yet? Everyone's waiting-" Then she was surprised when she found her plastered to the wall. "What are you doing?"

"Shh!" Rumi knitted her eyebrows. "Rumi's trying to figure out what's going on with Kyoko-san and Tsuruga-san now that Fuwa-san left."

* * *

_8:51 PM_

Oh, thank god for Ren, Kyoko thought as she made her way back to the shooting area.

Because of all the insanity that just happened with Cain and Shotaro and everyone else, she lost her concentration and couldn't get back into character. Considering Natsu was very different from her own personality, it would have been very noticeable.

And she couldn't have that. Not only had she already delayed shooting, her senpai and mentor was there. She couldn't make up for the lost time, but she couldn't afford to lose face in front of Tsuruga Ren - she'd done enough of that to last her a lifetime.

She bit her lower lip and she smiled.

There was no better way to get herself back into character than with Ren's help. He was, after all, the one who helped her find the beautiful and confident Natsu. So, it was the logical choice. She couldn't get herself to admit to him that she lost her concentration, because he'd already taunted her back on Vain Day that she was letting small things get in the way of her ability to act. Besides, it was just a kiss - to him, it was nothing.

It was a nice kiss though, she thought in hindsight. She didn't have much experience with it, and wouldn't have believed that he would kiss her back. But when he did, she knew she got the character back. Because, Natsu is supposed to be an irresistable goddess who has people wrapped around her little finger. It was a twist in the whole Actor's Rule Of The Heart, but he was the one who said that a kiss can be done as many times as necessary in order to complete a scene. And the scene needed Natsu.

Once she stepped into the shooting area, she greeted the director and the assistant director. "I'm sorry for the delay," she formally bowed. "I'm ready now."

She was surprised when everyone was looking at her. Suddenly flustered, she faced everyone and bowed low. "I'm sorry for all the commotion, everyone. It's not going to happen again."

Maruyama-san soon arrived and smiled at everyone, "Sorry, everyone!"

They ran up to the side of set. Maruyama-san moved farther because she was going to be the last one to enter the classroom, while Kyoko joined Natsu's clique by the door.

Sudo-san asked her what happened. Kyoko just waved it off and said no one would be disrupting the shoot again. She walked up to Maruyama-san and asked the same thing.

Maruyama-san looked at her with wide eyes and said, "Sudo-san wouldn't believe it even if Rumi told her."

"Try me."

Kyoko turned worriedly to Maruyama-san. Shotaro had been unreasonably noisy. The idol answered, "Tsuruga Ren-san broke the door."

Sudo-san laughed. "You're right. I don't believe you."

* * *

_9:30 PM_

"Well, boys," Shin'ichi said as they sat in a Japanese-style restaurant bench on the taisho's counter. "My condolences on your loss."

The leader and Kijima-kun nodded somberly, but a cry of frustration came from Yuusei as he folded his arms on the table and buried his face on it. "Kyoko-chan, you dummy!"

"What the-?" Shin'ichi scolded. "I was talking to the leader and Kijima-kun."

"But after all that effort..." Yuusei raised his head and mumbled. Then he raised an accusing finger at the leader. "And you.. You're taking this too lightly! Didn't you like Kyoko-chan so much that you're constantly acting like a wuss around her? At least feel bad about it."

"I do feel bad about it," the leader said. "I'm not going to cry over it."

"He's right," Shin'ichi supported the leader. "We see Kyoko-chan every week and all the time whenever we're all at LME. She's like the fourth, unofficial member of Bridge Rock and our friend. Are we going to start treating her like a persona non-grata just because she dumped the leader?"

"Would you stop saying that?" the leader said, looking absolutely defensive.

After a moment's silence, Yuusei spoke out. "I say we all go with her on White Day. She said that she's still going, right? We should really show that we support her."

"Right," the leader agreed. "Kyoko-chan's still a girl. She'll feel bad if we start treating her differently."

Kijima-kun looked at them curiously. "What do you mean you see her 'every week'?"

"Thank you for waiting," the okami-san of the place arrived with their orders. "Here you go," she smiled as she laid down two platters. "The Daruma-ya's special fish dish for you boys."

"Wow!" the three exclaimed, forgetting their worries and ignored Kijima-kun's question. The dish was a generous serving. "Thank you, okami-san," Yuusei smiled brightly at the kind-faced lady.

"No problem," the okami-san smiled as she settled the rice in front of them."Now for your drinks..."

"Ah," Kijima-kun said. "Iced tea for these two." He pointed at Yuusei and Shin'ichi. Then he wrapped his arm around the leader as they sat on the same side. "Beer for us."

"I'm sorry," the okami-san looked at the leader and shook her head. "We don't serve alcohol to minors."

The leader's cheeks turned pink. "I-I'm twenty-one, okami-san."

"Oh?" the okami-san tilted her head to the side. "You look... seventeen."

"This is delicious!" Yuusei exclaimed.

"My, my," the okami-san smiled. "That would be a credit to my husband."

The four of them turned to where she was gesturing and saw a dour-faced man staring at them intently. Come of think of it, Shin'ichi thought. This wasn't the first time he'd noticed him looking at them while they talked as they waited for the food.

"Now, I'll be right back with your drinks," the okami-san said.

"Where'd you find this place, Kijima-kun?" Shin'ichi asked.

"An ex-girlfriend of mine works near here," Kijima-san shrugged. "She said that this place is a popular after-office place and the fish is really good."

"Kyoko-chan will like it here," the leader turned to his food and started to eat. "We should take her here on White Day."

Kijima-kun let out a sigh. "I really don't get it," he said. "What is it about her that has guys like you coming after her? Personally, I prefer girls who are a little more... voluptuous."

"You don't get it, Kijima-kun," the leader smiled cheerfully. Food always made him forget his worries in life. "Kyoko-chan's not only cute and sweet and funny, she has a great set of legs too. Not everyone's into breasts."

Kijima-kun thought about it with a faraway look on his face. "Oh yeah..." he admitted with a smirk. "She has great legs."

Then they all jumped when the taisho cleaved something with a really big knife. Then he raised it, looked at them, and ran his finger across the blade as he tested its sharpness.

* * *

_11:30 PM_

"Ah!" Setsu happily exclaimed as Cain-nii-san opened the door. She threw her purse to the foot of the bed and herself onto it. "Home sweet home~" she cooed and buried her face into the pillow. It smelled like nii-san's shampoo so she quickly sat up and exclaimed, "Your drink!"

"I'll handle it." He was already in the kitchen, taking two glasses out of the cupboard. With lightning speed, he'd already taken out a bottle of beer for himself and tea for her by the time she reached the kitchen. "Here," he nudged a tea-filled glass to her.

"Th-Thank you," she said almost shyly. Their usual routine was she only saw to her needs once nii-san was already settled on his chair. He really didn't need to prepare one for her, nor did he have to let her go first. "This is supposed to be my job though."

"It is not," he said as he poured his drink into the glass.

"Yes it is!" she argued. "What good am I then if I don't do that?"

"Your job," he emphasized as he raised his glass, "is to be my spoiled little sister. Not my maid."

"That's just looking cute and throwing tantrums," she complained. "Besides," she reasoned with a smile. "What kind of doting sister would I be if I can't spoil my stupid older brother? Especially after a long day of work."

"You had a long day at work too, didn't you?" he asked, looking at her. "You need to be spoiled once in a while. Plus, with all the craziness you went through today, you're entitled to it."

"It wasn't _that _crazy," she shifted uncomfortably. This was bad, she thought. She might believe what he told her. She always relied on herself for everything. She certainly wasn't used to being spoiled. By anyone. Not at home where the taisho and okami-san would only talk to her while she saw through her own needs, if she wasn't helping out at the restaurant. Not with Moko-san, but that's because they believed in self-reliance. And never with Shotaro. Just because the Box "R" shoot got extended for another hour and a half after nine didn't mean that she can shirk her responsibilities as Setsuka Heel.

"You call being chased around by eight guys not crazy?"

"Well..." she hesitantly answered as she braced herself for a stinging lecture that was to come. He let her off easy at the Box "R" set, he'd been looking at her strangely in the car and he was being considerate to her now. That made what was about to come more terrible. "They weren't chasing me around. Bridge Rock really counts as one. And I only invited Kijima-san because he did me a favor before." She nervously laid her glass on the countertop. "Sho... Well, you know why I asked Sho to come..."

"And the Beagle stalker's there because he's a raving lunatic?" he contributed.

"Isn't he?" Kyoko suddenly felt as though Ren understood her. "He's like a demon who appears randomly! I can't believe he accused you of being capable of beating the crap out of him." Well, technically, Ren could. If he was in Cain Heel mode. But that wouldn't be triggered unless she was in Setsu mode. "Well, he's just plain weird. He's been chasing me around because he wanted to give me this weird talisman-"

"Talisman?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "He says it's a White Day present because he's convinced there's a demon that's constantly around me." She shuddered at the thought. "And Koga Hiromune-san..." She abruptly changed the topic just to get it over with.

"I was actually curious about that," he remarked. "I didn't know you knew him personally."

"I don't," she answered. "Today was the first time I met him."

"What for?"

"Well," she suppressed her excitement because it had no basis. "This is unofficial, but Sawara-san told me that he wants to work with me on his next movie."

A wide smile stretched across his face. "Really?" he eagerly asked. "That would be your movie debut, wouldn't it?"

She sheepishly grinned. "It would be, I guess," She didn't expect him to be happy for her.

"What role? What movie?"

"I don't know."

"Eh?"

"That's the strange part," she scratched the back of her head. "Sawara-san said he's still sifting through offers. I don't even know if it's going to be a drama or comedy or something."

"Well," Ren let out a breath. "Koga-san's known for that."

"Huh?"

"He's picky about everything," Ren explained. "Movies, dramas, commercials, roles, directors, co-stars..." He sighed. "I guess it's not a bad thing. Everthing he does is a hit. So that should count for something."

Kyoko suddenly felt envious. "Must be nice... to be in a place like you and Koga-san..."

He eyed her sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she sighed. "I guess you and Koga-san earned it because you worked very hard to afford the luxury to be picky about projects and co-stars."

"Well..." he slowly answered. "I'm picky about work because I want to work on something that will challenge me and my skills, but I've never picked any of my co-sta-"

He stopped mid-sentence and Kyoko knew he knew that wasn't true. He had been picky with co-stars. He even said it in a press conference - that he wanted to work with Matsunai Ruriko-chan for her Show White-like appearance. "Don't worry about it, Ren," she reassured him. "It wasn't an accusation." She finished off her drink and placed it in the sink. "Anyway, time to make dinner."

"Come on," he laid his hand on her head. "It's late. Let's just order room service so you can relax a bit."

"What the hell?" she pouted. It's not even midnight and they'd had later dinners than this. "You're going to spoil me rotten."

A blinding smile made her demons scream out in terror inside. "That's the plan."

"Go take your shower," she said as she made her way towards the night stand. She didn't think she could stand staring at that divine smile for very long.

"If you want, I can cook something up instead," he volunteered.

She cringed at the thought. But he would only something like that if... "Did... did something happen in the movie shoot that you're losing your nerve and need to prove something to yourself again?" she asked nervously as her stomach clenched at the memory of that horrendous omurice. She had all the ingredients stored in the fridge in case.

"No," he shook his head. "I just don't want you to have to work the stove tonight." Then he chuckled. "Don't worry, Mazui omurice isn't what I have planned on the menu. It'll take me two hours and I won't guarantee there won't be eggshells on the fried eggs and I'll probably forget to slice the bread, but I'll get the job done," he said with a grin.

"Room service it is!" She started walking again. What the heck? Spoiled rich kids who can't even fry an egg! He's just like Kuon Hizuri. Her version of him anyway. She would have kicked Ren if he said he'll dip the loaf in an assortment of jams.

"Kyoko."

"Hm?" She turned back to him.

"If you can be choosy about a project and co-star," Ren asked. "What and who would it be?"

She looked down on the floor and said, "I'm not in that-"

"But if you were."

"Well..." she hid her smile. "I can't really say what kind of project. I'd normally say princess or fairy or prince, but you probably wouldn't pick something like that."

"What do I have to do with it?" he tilted his head.

"Well, I guess you're right that choosing a project that will hone my skills would be much better. Also, Kuu-oton once told me I shouldn't be so picky about any work. So," she giggled. "I really don't care as long as I get to work with you."

"Me?"

"Well..." she confessed. "It's kind of a personal goal. When I decided that I wanted to take acting seriously, I can only know that I'm a worthwhile actress if I can act opposite you." Then she laughed unsteadily. "I'm not talking about Mio or Setsu because I'm still your kouhai. I mean, I want to act opposite you as an actress of equal skill."

Ren looked at her for a long while, then he said, "Alright. If that's what you want."

"Eh?" she looked at him curiously as he gathered his things in the closet and disappeared into the bathroom.

Her eyebrows furrowed. That must have sounded so shallow to Ren. She's obviously not the first person who's ever said that. She let out a depressed sigh. She really was incapable of being as deep or profound as he was.

After she made the call to room service, she emptied her pockets and placed her phone on the night stand. Then she frowned at the sight of the documents oba-sama gave her. On top were her birth certificates and school records, but she knew underneath were the documents needed for her to get married. Shotaro already had his, but she left out handing him over the marriage license.

Oba-sama really laid out everything for them. The only things that were missing were Shotaro's 18th birthday, the notary for her 'consent for a minor to marry' letter and having them submitted to the municipal office. Then she noticed something on her consent letter... It had no name for the groom. The letter was composed leaving the name of the groom blank. That's when she realized that her mother didn't care who she married as long as she was rid of her. She probably realized that if she's not married off to Shotaro, she'd be back to be her problem.

She stopped herself from crying because she knew that she didn't need it. She has already been living on her own for a while and earning her own money without asking anything from anyone. She never realized it until Ren pointed it out to her and she vocalized it to Shotaro, but she already had people she cared for. They may not have cared for her back, but they were people who looked after her best interests. That counted, right?

Besides, she's already resolved that she will live alone.

Purposefully, she took each paper, walked to the kitchen and turned on the exhaust that hung over the oven. She grabbed the lighter Cain Heel left on the counter on top of a carton of cigarettes.

* * *

_11:50 PM_

Crap, Ren though as he stared at his reflection. Was he blushing?

Damn it... he grabbed the faucet and started splashing water on his face until the heat went away. He was turning into a elementary school boy.

He always knew that Kyoko wasn't the type of girl who would ask for material things like trinkets or jewelry. Her wish was surprisingly simple and complex at the same time, but, he contemplated, not something he couldn't give her.

He took off his shirt and walked over to the hamper and threw it in. It was right beside the door so he smelled it.

Smoke...

Fire! his mind quickly went into alert and he opened the door. "Kyoko!" he cried out as his mind started trying to remember the hallway scheme and where the fire escapes would be.

"Ren?" she turned in surprise. He was just outside the kitchen and there stood Kyoko by the sink. The smoke was coming from the sink! He grabbed for the fire extinguisher that hung nearby, pointed and sprayed at whatever it was that was burning on the sink.

The small fire quickly died down. When he set the red canister down, he turned to her. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she answered innocently.

"I smelled smoke!" he near-shouted. "Are you burning down the place?"

"I turned on the exhaust." She pointed at the oven. "Also, this is a 'smoking allowed' room on a 'smoking allowed' floor, remember?"

"What?" He was confused. She was smoking?

"I'm burning down my marriage papers," she declared proudly.

"What?" Ren turned pale and he turned towards the sink.

"That's right!" she smiled. "I don't need them. The affadavit, the marriage license application, that letter of consent... everything. However, it would be dangerous if anyone got a hold of any of it, right? So, I figured, the best way to go was to just get rid of it completely!"

It was gone! he thought in despair as he stared. Well, good riddance to the marriage license, but the consent form... It was half-burnt, but the important part - the hanko - was gone. Along with his dreams. The only good thing Kyoko's mother has ever done for her... It was gone...

God... he groaned in frustration. This girl...

He turned to her sharply and grabbed her by the arms and led her out of the kitchen.

"Eh?" Kyoko was instantly contrite. "I-I-I'm sorry," she feebly stuttered as she staggered backwards as he dragged her. "I wouldn't have done it here if it was going to be dangerous, Ren."

"That's not it, Kyoko," he droned monotonously. His patience and his control finally snapped.

They fell onto the bed where he maneuvered her. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. He raised himself, putting each palm on either side of her face. "Kyoko..." he said in a tight, controlled voice. Before she could answer, he continued, "I'm going to tell you something really important so please listen."

"O-OK," she swallowed.

"Now," he looked intently into her eyes. She looked surprised, but not frightened. "I don't want you to tell me what you think until you've thought it through. Rationally. I don't need an answer now. Take a day or two. A week... Two weeks. Well, I hope it won't take that long." He was babbling.

"Eh?" She looked up at him in confusion.

Well, he swallowed. He earned it. Everyone else had already told her pretty much how they felt about her - even Koga-san, who only intended to work with her. And Fuwa asked her to marry him! Everything came so easy for everyone, while he had to go through several levels of hell just to let her know how he felt about her and he still hadn't achieved that goal. He didn't care what happened after. He no longer wanted to tell her, he needed it. After all he went through tonight, she's been prancing around merrily and obliviously-

Merrily? Obliviously? What he'd been through? A rational voice suddenly came into his head. It wasn't like she hadn't been stressed out over the last few days. The kicker was everything that happened earlier. He saw how distressed she looked. The only thing he could think about was his own reasons?

He fixed his eyes on her again, remembering how she happily told him about how she didn't care if she played princess or fairy or a villain. She said she wanted to act with him. Plus, she kissed him! That should count for something? That boosted his confidence enough. "Kyoko..."

Suddenly, a ringing sound came from the night stand. It was her ringtone. "Ah!" she exclaimed. "My ph-"

"Ignore it," he ordered. "It's midnight so no one will call you about work." He wasn't going to allow any more interruptions. No more jokes. No more twists. No more punchlines. Not until he'd said his piece.

"But-"

"No!" he barked. He felt her stiffen under him. She really had no other way to get away from him - he had her pinned to the bed and his arms blocked any possibility of looking elsewhere. The phone stopped ringing anyway. "Kyoko..." he started again. "I-"

She bit her lower lip.

Then his own phone started ringing, but Ren hardly heard it. His thoughts were running a thousand miles an hour. He wanted to tell her everything that was jumbling in his head, so he just blurted it out...

"I'm a fairy prince."

He was just as surprised by what he said as she was.

What the damn hell did he just say? he thought as he felt himself go on a downward spiral. That wasn't what he wanted to say...

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- After all the complaints I received that they didn't want to read it the next week after the last chapter, I waited until the next, next week. LOL. Just kidding. Real life suddenly took precedence so I had no time to write. Also, writer's block with Kyoko and Sho's scene. And yes, I'm nearing the 10k mark per chapter. There was too many characters, too many scenes and too long chapter notes.

- Yeah, Ren and Sho are kinda caveman-like. They're at their prime. Let them have their moment of testosterone.

- Other notes: Ofukuro is another variation of mother. I remembered Sho refer to his father as oyaji. To me they come in pairs: mama/papa, okaasan/otousan, chichi/haha, oyaji/ofukuro. A hanko/inkan is that stamp thing with an individual's or family's name. It's used in lieu of a signature. If you google, it will come. As to some questions about the consent form, in order for minors (under 20) to get married, apart from the usual documents, they also need a notarized consent from the parents. I didn't delve much into it. It was used purely for plot device.

- Next chapter: At the rate I'm going, Ren will probably die of hypertension by White Day here. So, he'll be taking charge of the last few chapters. He is the final boss, isn't it?


	14. Chapter 14

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Thirteen  
**

**Acknowledgments: **Runadaemon for beta-reading the first draft and the lot of this chapter, Jhiz for re-beta-reading the whole lot after I added some stuff and finished.

**Dedications:** Shiroyuki76 and flootsnoot - Thank you for your PMs. Jhiz too if you didn't end up being my beta.

I don't own Skip Beat!

**

* * *

**

**3 Days Before White Day (March 11)**

_12:00 MN_

Fairy prince?

Kyoko's eyes widened as the words Ren just told her sank in. She couldn't get herself to think or move. All she could do was watch the pained expression on his face as he closed his eyes, lowered his head beside hers and buried his face onto the pillow with a long, frustrated sigh.

Did she hear him correctly? her mind started warping into a spiral, somewhat thankful that he never did or said anything to force the issue down at her, but...

Fairy prince?

Ren?

He told her to think about it rationally for a few days before saying anything about the issue. Rationally. Think about what? How it was possible for a fairy prince to survive all these years in the human world without being detected? And in show business! The sheer mechanics and technicalities of everything were mind-blowing!

His phone started ringing again.

Ren let out a groan, hoisted himself up on his forearms, and stood. He walked over to the kitchen counter where he left the contents of his pockets before entering the bathroom.

As though she couldn't get herself to take her eyes off him, Kyoko sat up to stare after him. Her mind was working overtime about how everything worked.

He couldn't be Corn. So did he know Corn? Corn was the only fairy prince she'd ever known in her entire life so it was only natural that her thought process would work that way. Were they related? Did countries exist in the fairy world or were there so many different royal families that he didn't know Corn at all?

She shifted her focus on his back and realized for the first time that he was naked. She swallowed hard. He. Was. Naked. Well, he had on pants, but being shirtless was as good as naked to her.

"Hello?" he answered into his phone.

And what a thing to confess! She panicked in her head. Why bring up something like that at this moment? It was so ill-timed and she did nothing that would prompt such an insane confession.

"Ah, Boss..." Cain-nii-san was suddenly back in character. "No, we just got home... What were we doing? Um... Nothing. We were just getting ready for bed."

He could just have been playing around with her again, she rationally thought. Right? He knew that she believed in things like magic and fairies so he could be teasing her about it, but why tell her that he was a fairy prince?

"What?" he suddenly turned to her and looked at her questioningly. "Her father? And he's with you right now?"

That statement kind of broke Kyoko out of her thoughts. Father? she thought in disbelief. She shook her head at Ren. She didn't have one so it was impossible. Unless... "Kuu-oton!" she exclaimed.

Ren paused to listen to what the President was saying and nodded. "So, it isn't Hizuri-shi..." he repeated for her sake.

Her spirits dipped low, but it still made her curious. If the person who was claiming to be her father wasn't Kuu-oton, then who was it?

"Well... she's here with me right now. If you like, you can talk to her instead of me," he said as Kyoko stood up from the bed and slowly walked up to him. "Why wasn't she answering her phone..." He looked at her nervously then let out a chuckle. "Well, you know her... she always takes forever to answer the phone..."

Kyoko frowned darkly at him. She was going to answer it. He was the one who was barking orders for her not to do so. She suddenly wanted to kick him, just because he made her sound like an irresponsible brat. Still, she looked up at him curiously and nervously as the President talked on the other line.

What father? She suddenly tried to suppress the hope that was building up in her. Kuu-oton was the only person in the world she ever considered to be father. She never let herself imagine she had one, but maybe... unlike her mother, maybe after seeing her on TV or something...

Suddenly, Ren reached out for her hand and started stroking the back of it with his thumb. Kyoko was surprised at the unexpected comfort it brought her, and it managed to calm down her spiraling imagination.

"Eh?" Ren softly exclaimed. "Wouldn't a phone conversation do? We just came from her shoot and..." He paused again. "I see... Alright, we'll be there in half an hour."

"Ren?" She looked up at him curiously as he hung up the call.

"The President wants us to be in the Takarada Mansion in half an hour," he answered. "He's sending the car back to pick us up."

"But Ren..." she exclaimed disbelievingly. She didn't even know what was happening! "I never really told anyone this, but I don't have a father! I mean, I do because I needed one in order to exist, but you get what I mean! If it's not Hizuri-sensei, this has got to be a joke!"

Ren let go of her hand and walked towards the closet. "Kyoko, that was the President," he said as he pulled out a fresh shirt and put it over his head. "I know he's two shakes away from a mental institution, but he's an important person who doesn't waste time on impostors."

"Well... I see your point," she weakly agreed. "But I still don't buy this whole father thing."

"Well, it's not your father." Ren closed the closet door shut. "Not really."

"What?" she blinked, not understanding anything.

"It's the old man you live with."

Kyoko stared at him for a few seconds, trying to figure out who he meant. "You?" she hesitantly hazarded a guess.

"I am not an old man!" he defensively retorted.

"Well..." She was still confused. "You are older than I am and we have been living together for the last couple of weeks..."

He pouted and grumbled_ like an old man_. "How could I be there and here at the same time?"

'By being a fricking fairy prince!' she wanted to shout out. Who knows what kind of mysterious powers he had as one? Unfortunately, she couldn't say it because he said she should think about it before saying anything.

"It's the old man from the restaurant you live in," Ren answered while she was still wondering about it.

"Taisho?" Why? she thought dumbfoundedly.

Ren's phone suddenly rang. He check the caller ID. "It's the driver," he said. "He's downstairs already. Let's go..." He picked up the call to inform the driver that they were on their way down to the vehicle.

"What the heck?" she mumbled. "Why don't we just fly there?" She slowly moved to follow him.

Fairies had wings after all. One of his age and great abilities should have already developed them by now. At the rate that he's going, she might end up not believing him.

* * *

_12:26 AM_

"She's late."

"Now, now..." Lory smiled uneasily as he tried to appease Mogami-kun's no-nonsense guardian. "They said that they'll be here in thirty minutes. It's only been..." He turned to the grandfather clock that stood against his far wall. "...twenty-six."

What on earth? Lory thought wryly. If he didn't know any better, he would have easily believed that the man who sat across from him was actually Mogami-kun's father - twice as stubborn but not nearly as pleasant to look at as his Number One Love Me girl. It was no wonder that Sawara-kun was in near tears when he asked for his assistance in dealing with him.

Normally, he wouldn't have entertained the gentleman who sat across from him. However, after hearing his reasons and how he seemed to genuinely care for Mogami-kun's well-being, he gladly explained about her work and how secret everything is. Still, it wasn't enough to satisfy the hard-headed man who refused to let go of the issue until he'd seen her for himself.

A servant appeared in the entry way of his study to announce their arrival.

Because they were meeting in his private office in his home, the president told Ren that they didn't need to change out of costume. They looked good together, Lory observed. Obviously not matching, but their styles as the Heel siblings complemented each other well even though Cain looked like hell and Setsu was in a brand new pair of pants and a corset top. From the looks of things, Lory thought with satisfaction, Ren had taken advantage of the chance to spoil Mogami-kun.

"Good evening, President Takarada," Mogami-kun bent in a low, formal bow. Ren followed suit. Then she turned to the man and said, "Taisho, good evening." Slowly, she raised her head and looked at him. "Um... did something happened at the shop?"

"You could say that," he answered shortly as she and Ren started walking towards the sitting area.

"Eh?" She looked worried as she sat beside Ren on the couch. "Is the okami-san...?"

"She's fine," he crossed his arms over his chest. "It was a very busy night at the shop so I let her rest after we closed. We're actually concerned about you."

"Me?" She looked confused.

"You always talk to us about your work, but for this one, you left so abruptly without telling us anything about it, except that it was all secret," he said looking at her intently.

"That's right," she nodded. "I apologize for it, but this is something that I've sworn to keep secret."

"Didn't you promise that you would check in with us every evening?" he asked sternly. "It's been three days since you last called us."

A peep came out of Mogami-kun. A tone of realization. "I... I..." she stammered, her face completely flushed. "I did!"

"Because you like your work, we let you do whatever you like as long as you're happy," he gruffly continued before she could make any apologies for it. "While we have no say in what you do, we are concerned about your well-being. We understand that this job of yours is secret and that we know nothing about being in show business so it's not out place to tell you otherwise." He then looked her in the eye. "However..."

She swallowed. "Mm?"

"What on earth are you wearing?" he bit out.

"Eh?" she exclaimed in surprise. Lory let out a puff of cigar smoke in surprise when the original issue turned completely to the unrelated matter of Mogami-kun's wardrobe.

"Those pants," the Taisho criticized, "are too tight. That shirt," he gestured to the top, "seems to be missing a top part and a bottom part. Don't you even have a jacket? What kind of job is this that you're asked to be away from home and wear something like that?"

"It's called fashion," Lory declared. The conversation had gone off of topic and he felt obligated to return it. "Mogami-kun's job requires her to be outfitted with the latest collection from a well-known clothing line." Actually, she was supposed to be dressed up as a little sexpot, but Ren seemed to have worked around that and changed it. It still suited her though.

"That's right," she nodded in agreement. "Setsuka is a fashion girl. The jacket..." she attempted to explain. "I didn't wear it because it was too warm for it in the basement parking lot. And because we left so abruptly, there was only time to get Ren-san into a shirt."

Something lit in the man's eyes at her telling statement. This time, he directed his question to Ren. With those scary, murderous eyes: "Do you have any idea what I was doing two hours ago?"

"Huh?" Ren turned to him in surprise.

"Two hours ago," he said in a firm tone that slowly rose as though he was saying the most outrageous thing in the world, "I was serving my best fish to a group of boys who spent a good hour discussing the finer points of her legs - the length, shape, the proportion to the rest of her body, the smoothness, how it's hidden under a skirt that makes them want to see more of it, how they would fare when she's in a bathing suit..."

Ren let out an "Oh." Then he made the mistake of letting his eyes trail the length of Mogami-kun's leg from ankle to thigh. He realized too late his mistake and looked uncomfortable when Mogami-kun's surrogate father gave him an angry look of displeasure.

"Then one of them got tipsy and started crying because he didn't receive any chocolates from you last Valentine's Day," he continued as he turned to Kyoko. "Those three boys you're always with started jeering at him because of it."

"What?" Mogami-kun and Ren exclaimed.

"Just what kind of a job are you doing?" he asked sternly. "I can try to understand if your work requires you to wear something like that, but what I don't understand is why you have to be with a different man every night. You may not really know what you're getting yourself into because you always try so very hard at everything to accomplish your work. Perhaps, you may not really know the trouble that you're getting yourself into-"

"No, Taisho, you have it all wrong!" Mogami-kun shook her head vehemently. "I'm only with Ren every night." She turned to him. "Right, Ren? You're the only one I go home with."

She said it confidently, thinking that it would assure him that she had not been spending her evenings with other men. But, it just made the fire in the man's eyes look even more blazing.

That level of naivete, Lory thought, should be illegal.

"Si-Sir," Ren jumped into the conversation, obviously trying to save himself from a sad fate in the hands of Mogami-kun's guardian. "Kyoko-san was assigned to play my little sister. I know that it seems too abrupt when she usually takes weeks to prepare for a role, but it was a necessity that came in at the last minute. My character, Cain Heel, wouldn't be able to act with any other person who could play Setsuka Heel except Kyoko-san." Then he looked the man in the eye and continued, "I assure you. Kyoko-san is being treated with all the love and respect I have for her."

That was definitely a confession, Lory thought. Too bad it was told to a middle-aged, bad-tempered old man instead of the girl sitting next to him.

"Is that true?" The man turned to Kyoko.

"Of course!" Mogami-kun nodded vigorously. "Ren-san is a wonderful older brother. I'm only grateful that I can work with someone like him." Then her eyebrows furrowed with worry. "I'm so sorry I haven't been in touch for the last three days. Some things came up, but they aren't excuses. I didn't think that you or the okami-san would have noticed... since I've been away from home before."

The old man sighed. "Of course we would notice. You have always been a responsible girl so what you went through must have been something big for you to forget. We weren't really worried the first two nights because you always push yourself too far. We only started worrying tonight... when we heard those boys..."

"I couldn't say no to his request, Mogami-kun," Lory piped into the conversation.

"Well.." she slowly digested what they said. "I promise that I won't forget to call again. I can't quit on this now. Our characters are practically inseparable now so it's hard to back down at this point, and there's only two days left to go..." Her voice trailed off and she looked sad.

"We're not asking you to quit," Mogami-kun's surrogate father firmly said. "You never quit. Also, this is something that benefits you, doesn't it?"

"Yes, yes, of course!" she answered. "I'm learning a lot under Ren-san."

"I mean for your career," he countered. "You're always saying about how each job you get will get you more exposure so that people will see your talent and you'll get more work because of it?"

Lory swallowed. Ideally, that's how it's supposed to work. Each project aimed to give an actor more exposure that can open opportunities. However, in this case, it wasn't. Mogami-kun's a mere support system for Ren and will not be credited for anything because of the anonymity of the role of Setsuka Heel. That doesn't mean that he didn't intend to reward her for it, but in terms of what they were thinking, she wouldn't get anything from her part.

"Eh... um..." Mogami-kun shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "About that..."

"Of course she will," Ren suddenly answered. "Everyone is aware that Kyoko-san is a very talented actress after all. All the hard work she puts in will benefit her someday."

She blushed deeply at the compliment.

Tell her that you love her, you idiot, Lory chanted in his head. Let's see how much more red her face can go from there.

Come to think of it, Lory looked curiously at Ren. It was strange that he should say what he did. Of all people, the actor knew the situation that Mogami-kun was in with her role as Setsuka-chan. Ren might be giving Mogami-kun - or worse, her guardian - the wrong impression.

"Well then," Mogami-kun's surrogate father nodded, looking satisfied. Then he stood up. "I won't take up any more of your time." He turned to Lory and bowed, "Takarada-san, thank you for looking after her."

"No, no," Lory smiled and waved his hand. "No need to be too formal. I always look after my girls."

"I'll be heading off then," he nodded.

"Ah!" Mogami-kun exclaimed. "Why don't you let us drop you off!" Then she turned to Ren. "You don't mind, do you, Ren?"

Ren looked at her face and sighed. But he took a deep breath and said, "If he could wait. There's something I need to discuss with the President."

"Hm?" Lory looked at him with interest.

"Well, I need to go," the man answered. "Takarada-san has generously offered one of his cars to deliver me back home and my wife is waiting for me at the store. Besides, this work is secret, isn't it? What would happen if anyone found out that I'm connected to you two?"

"That's true," Lory answered for Mogami-kun. Then to Ren, he said, "But whatever you're going to tell me would have to wait until tomorrow. I'm meeting you at ten anyway."

Ren thought about it for a second and then shrugged. "I guess it can wait," he answered. "Then, I'll just tell you tomorrow."

* * *

_1:30 AM_

"Well," his wife crossed her arms over her chest as he entered the Daruma-ya. "You're back. And Kyoko-chan isn't with you. Does that mean she's OK and not lying dead in a ditch?"

"You make it sounds like she's an irresponsible young lady," he frowned. "Of course she's alright."

"Me?" his wife retorted. "You were the one who started this whole irrational behavior about Kyoko-chan running around with random boys just because those four boys came in earlier talking about her. She's working to become an actress. Of course, she would be talked about."

He let out a disgruntled sound as he started up the stairs after making sure the front door was locked up.

"It never seemed to bother you when the regulars would often talk about Kyoko-chan," his wife followed him with a nag.

"They're regulars," he argued.

"Most of the time they're so drunk that you can't get them out of the door," she argued. "Those boys from earlier had more fish than beer. They had too much, in fact!"

He frowned as he went through his drawers for his night clothes. "Actually, those boys are not worrying me as much anymore." Then his frown deepened and his eyebrows knitted closer. "It's that other one."

"What other one now?" His wife closed his eyes and sighed.

* * *

_2:00 AM_

Ren ruffled his hair as he set the hair dryer down and looked at his reflection. It had an annoyed look, and he had a pretty good idea why.

Why on earth do things keep leading back to Ishibashi Hikaru-san? Kyoko said that they were friends. Ren didn't have a problem with the fact. But why was he referred to by her guardian as someone she was "always with". The taisho was obviously someone who wouldn't follow anything in show business unless it was something in which Kyoko was involved. It made no sense unless Kyoko had introduced him or talked about the idol with them. That would warrant some kind of unusual closeness between them.

Ren sighed. Apart from her acceptance, he always thought that getting over the Fuwa hurdle and admitting his feelings were the only things that were in his way with his relationship with Kyoko. Who knew there was someone else in the way?

As much as he didn't dislike his first impression of Ishibashi Hikaru, he had to know what their relationship was, he thought as he hung his towel to dry. His feelings for her were still greater than the likability of the idol.

He stepped out of the bathroom and found Kyoko already asleep, curled up in a little ball on her bed.

They came home half an hour ago, quickly ate the soup and salad they reheated from room service, and got ready for bed. Like always he went ahead while she tidied up the dishes.

Now, she was asleep on top of her bed in her day clothes.

"Kyoko," he called gently as he attempted to awaken her by shaking her shoulder.

She mumbled something, but didn't wake. Instead, she rolled onto her back.

"Kyoko," he repeated. "It's your turn for your bath."

Her eyebrows knitted but she still didn't wake. Ren sighed. Obviously, she was exhausted from her very long and very busy day. On top of their long day today, they were scheduled to have an even longer one tomorrow with their day starting out at her school, then LME, then to the movie shoot at noon until late in the evening.

Deciding that she could take her shower when she woke up in the morning, he lifted her in his arms and turned down the blanket on her bed.

While in the process, she snuggled closely against his chest and mumbled, "Corn..."

Oh crap, Ren's eyes widened as he looked down on her sleeping face. His intention was to tell her that he was in love with her, but everything happened at the same time. The last thing they talked about before his control snapped was how she would love to work with him; that it didn't matter if the role was fairy or prince. After he blurted out the fairy prince thing, he'd been too embarrassed to talk about it on their short dinner, but since she never mentioned it, he thought that she just took it in stride.

She couldn't have been thinking about that whole fairy prince thing the entire time, could she?

* * *

_8:30 AM_

"Hey, you!"

Kyoko stopped her walk along the long hallway of her high school and turned around to face the speaker.

"Nanokura-san?"

She didn't have time for this. Ren was outside with the car waiting for her and he had a 10AM meeting with the President. She just needed to drop off her schoolwork and they could be on their way.

Glancing around her, Kyoko notices that the hallway was empty because classes just started. It was just the two of them.

"Mimori just came back from her out-of-town shoot this morning," she said as she walked towards Kyoko.

"O...K...?"

"Sho-chan told Mimori that she didn't want to see Mimori anymore," she stopped just in front of her. "Sho-chan said that he's dumping Mimori-"

"Oh..." she muttered. She started having the feeling that she had just gotten another comrade, so she smiled and said, "Welcome to the club."

"-because Sho-chan said that he wanted to be with Kyoko-san instead!" she finished.

"Eh?" She looked at her classmate cluelessly. How far was that moron going to go for a joke? "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sho-chan said that the two of you have reached an agreement," she ranted. "Mimori won't accept it! Mimori has always been with Sho-chan. Maybe Kyoko-san can't handle the fact that it's natural that girls would be falling all over Sho-chan because he's a big star and great looking and that his voice is a gift to the world because Kyoko-san is plain and dumpy so she's insecure, but Mimori has the same problems he does. Boys always come up to me and..."

"Is there a point to this?" Kyoko asked dryly. She's been called plain and dumpy and could no longer find the energy to empathize with the problems of an E-cup gravure idol.

"Sho-chan is mine," Nanokura-san pointed at her. "If Mimori has to fight you for him, I will."

"Wha~at?" she asked with exasperation. She really didn't know what to feel. She was part-amused, part-annoyed. Fight for Shotaro? She wanted to laugh so badly, but couldn't.

"Really?" Kyoko suddenly straightened up and faced her. "Well, if you want Sho-chan that badly..."

Nanokura-san gulped and took a step back.

"...you can have him," Kyoko finished. "Hell, I'll even tell you the best way to get him."

"Wha-what?"

"The super-secret technique only I know," Kyoko smiled mischievously. "He will be coming back for more and never leave your side."

Nanokura-san looked at her dubiously and raised an eyebrow. "Why would you tell Mimori something like that?"

"Because, you want Sho-chan all to yourself, don't you?" Kyoko answered. "I can help you with that. And it only takes three little words..."

"'I love you'?" Nanokura-san asked cluelessly.

Kyoko let out a guffaw. "No, it's nothing that stupid."

"Stupid?"

Then Kyoko stepped forward and whispered in her ear.

"Eh?" Nanokura-san whined. "Sho-chan's too cool for-"

"Why? You don't love him anymore because of it?" Kyoko answered.

"N-No!" Nanokura-san countered. "Unlike you, Mimori loves Sho-chan no matter what!" Then she looked up at her uneasily. "Is-is that true?"

"I've known him all my life," Kyoko shrugged. "We've always been together until recently so I know every single detail about him." When she remained silent, Kyoko turned around. "I have to go submit this. I have an appointment I need to attend. Do whatever you want with it. I don't care. oh, and by the way, Sho-chan doesn't like sweet tamagoyaki."

Nanokura-san gasped out and exclaimed, "But Sho-chan says that there's no food he can't handle!"

Kyoko didn't answer anymore. She went straight to the teacher's lounge where she submitted her schoolwork, picked up some new assignments and headed back to the car.

"Sorry," she greeted as she opened the car door. "Did I take long?" She stopped and stared as she looked at Ren. The sun was bright out and he was sitting just under it in the car. Even with the dark tint, his dark hair looked a little lighter. Like the time in the forest in Karuizawa, she momentarily thought she was seeing Corn.

He turned his head and Kyoko broke out of her stupor and saw Tsuruga-san. "Nope," he smiled that flashy divine smile. "It's fine."

* * *

_9:30 AM_

"No."

"Why not, Miruki-san?" Sho whined as he followed his producer into the booth. "She already appeared in Prisoner. Everyone knows that she can deliver. So why are you against this?"

"Sho," Miruki-san sighed as she sat on the chair. "You know how difficult it is to deal with Ruriko-chan. What do you think will happen if we re-negotiate the concept for the PV? It took us forever to get into an agreement with her. And because it's a duet, the focus is going to be you and Ruriko-chan."

"So get her some generic leading man."

"If you attended the meeting last night instead of playing hooky, you could have given your suggestions and we could have worked out a compromise with her," Miruki-san said. "She's just as established as you are so she has a lot of say in this. This isn't a Fuwa Sho featuring Matsunai Ruriko single, it's a Fuwa Sho and Matsunai Ruriko track."

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. Then grumbled some expletives.

"Sho!" Shoko-san exclaimed in outrage.

Miruki-san looked at him and sighed. "Besides, we can't use Kyoko-chan in your PVs anymore."

"What?" he vehemently exclaimed as he turned to her. "Why not?"

"Because, she is an actress with her own name now," Miruki-san explained. "She's no longer 'that cute girl in the Kyurara ad'. If you put in a popular actress in your PV, people will talk about her more than the single. If you use famous actors, they become mini-movies. I don't think that's something that Ruriko-chan will agree to." She looked at him inquisitively through her glasses. "Which is more important? Her or the single."

Sho stared at her for a second before answering, "HER!" Then he ranted, "What the hell? I thought you're on my side, Miruki-san?"

"I am on your side," she snapped. "As you producer, I want what's the best for your career. As your friend, I can tell you that I've won many long arguments with Hiroaki about who's perfect for Kyoko-chan - you or that other guy."

Sho sneered. He knew 'that other guy' was Tsuruga. She and Shoko-san never mentioned the name because it always pissed him off.

When he didn't answer, she looked down on the board and sighed. "Fine," she answered. "I can't do anything about the duet. But if you want, we can get her for the PV for the single next month. I think Aki-san can have that all arranged..." She turned to his manager.

"Of course," Shoko assured him. "Anything you need will be done within the time frame."

Next month would already be too late, Sho thought in despair. It isn't fair... How come he never got any chances with her? How will he win her when all the cards are with Tsuruga?

He had to think! He thought as he walked out of the booth.

"Sho!" Shoko-san and Miruki-san called out to him, chasing after him, but it hardly registered in his head.

Where would Kyoko be? Trying her agency was no good - Tsuruga probably owned the place being their number one actor... Cogs in his brain started turning as he paced the waiting area and the two ladies watched him in wonder. After she left, she disappeared so completely that he didn't know where she went. The next time they met each other was at the Prisoner shoot. Though, he thought she was the chicken at Kimagure Rock on the first episode, but he was told that the guy in the chicken suit that it was just a temp. She had no real friends in Tokyo before she joined show business so where else could she be?

She could have gone to that place where she worked. That burger joint. Moz... Then he grabbed his hair and ruffled it in frustration. There were a thousand branches all over Tokyo and he never bothered to learn which part of the city she worked. And, it was a big-corporation place. They wouldn't care that some mousy little girl who used to work there. There was just that other place...

Sho straightened up in realization. She was working there part time because it was only open for lunch and dinner service. When they first arrived in Tokyo, she talked about it a lot and it was one of the few times he listened because he had nothing going for him yet. But for the life of him, he couldn't remember...

"Sho!" Shoko-san exclaimed in horror as he started stomping his feet on the floor and gripping his head tight to shake it into remembrance.

It started with a "Da" ("だ") and it had really good fish! He would never forget that awesome fish dish on the few nights Kyoko would bring some home.

"Daruma!" he suddenly exclaimed. He turned to his manager and his producer and looked at them happily.

"You want a daruma doll?" Miruki-san tilted her head and looked at him cluelessly.

"Shoko-san!" he turned to his manager who was looking at him as though he lost his mind. "Look for all the restaurants in Tokyo called 'Daruma'!"

"Re-restaurant?" Shoko-san asked nervously. "Don't you want to just eat at the usual place?"

"No!" Sho answered. There was no way in hell Kyoko would be there anymore - not when she's a star now! But she always talked about how homey the place was and how nice the proprietors were. At least at that place, when she left, they would have cared to know where she was going. Kyoko liked sentimental things like that!

Perhaps he had found his trump card.

* * *

_9:45 AM_

"Well then," Kyoko smiled at him as she stepped out the elevator. "I'll just be in the Love Me Section office. Just pass by there when you're done. If I'm not there, just wait because I'm probably just running an errand or something."

"OK," Ren nodded and smiled as she hurried down the hallway, and he headed the opposite direction towards L.A. Hearts where he would meet with Yashiro-san for their meeting with the President. He easily spotted him and walked towards his waiting manager before greeting him. "Good morning, Yashiro-san. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Yashiro-san looked up at him in surprise. "Eh? Goo-good morning, Ren." He quickly stuffed his things inside his bag and stood up. "Shall we?"

"Sure," he nodded.

They walked over to the bank of elevators and waited for a car in silence. Ren didn't really see anything wrong with that until he caught Yashiro-san looking at him curiously. "What?" he asked as an elevator pinged open.

"Well," Yashiro-san hesitantly answered. "No-nothing. I just..." The doors closed without anyone else coming in. Once the elevator started ascending, Yashiro-san finally asked, "When you said that you were going to rip Setsuka-chan's clothes off-"

"Hey," he snapped. A vein popped in his temple. "If you tell her about those calls, I'll kill you." he threatened. There were some things that men kept to themselves and don't tell the women involved. He certainly didn't want to relive the conversations he had with Yashiro-san yesterday when he was in front of him. "In fact, I'll do something much worse than kill you. I'll tell Kyoko what you wanted Cain to do to her and let her kill you."

"Just so you know, Kyoko-chan gave me instructions that I had to talk about things that will make you happy because you're always stressed and difficult to talk to after each take," Yashiro-san pointedly said.

"Huh?" Ren turned his head in surprise.

"I just want to know if there's anything about you and Kyoko-chan that I should know about," Yashiro-san defensively said. "After Kijima-san told me that you and Kyoko-chan are now a couple..."

"Kijima-san?" he asked in surprise. "How did he get into the picture?"

Yashiro-san nodded. "He was the one who called me last night to tell you to get to Fuji TV saying that he's doing it as a favor for a drinking friend." Then he leaned his head closer to him with his eyes alight with curiosity. "What happened?"

Ren let out a breath of exasperation. "Why are you believing that guy? Last week, he was telling people that she was going out with Ishibashi Hikaru-san."

"So... nothing happened yesterday to Kyoko-chan at Fuji TV?" Yashiro-san asked.

"Yes, something happened," Ren sighed. Yashiro-san turned to him worriedly, so Ren added reassuringly, "Well, it's been cleared up. Mostly anyway."

"So, are you and Kyoko-chan OK?"

Ren tried to block out the image of him screwing up an intended confession and how Kyoko now seemed to believe that he was a fairy prince. She was dreaming of Corn from what it seemed last night. He couldn't bring himself to talk to her about it because it was embarrassing as hell. Also, their schedule was packed for the day. And what kind of grown man would ever confess to a girl he loves that he's a fairy prince? It made him sound like he was exploiting the things that she enjoys the most - fairies and her fairy prince Corn - just to get to her good side.

Oddly enough though, she'd been keeping quiet about the whole thing. Not asking her questions or anything.

Thankfully, the elevator door opened and that ended their conversation as they made their way into the President's office.

* * *

_10:30 AM_

"Um..." Kyoko peered curiously at her fellow Love Me member as she organized paperwork and filed them inside a folder. "Amamiya-san, can I ask you a question?"

"What is it, Kyoko-san?" she answered as she looked at two pieces of paper at the same time.

Kyoko smiled at the permission given. She was kind of relieved when she entered the Love Me Section office and found Amamiya-san there. She couldn't believe her luck that the person who can help her out the most was available. "Remember that time when we had our location shoot at the Culture Park?"

She looked up at her and nodded. "Yes, it was the day when Dark Moon had that stunt mishap, right?"

"Yes..." Kyoko nodded vigorously, happy that she seemed to remember what happened. "That's it." She smiled.

"What about it?" She went back to sifting through the paperwork.

"Do you remember when we were walking from the mall?"

"When you bought carnivorous, man-eater underwear?" she sighed. "Sorry, Kyoko-san. I don't know or care about them so I can't offer you any advice on that."

"No, no!" she shook her head. She cringed at the memory. "It's not about that. Um..." she looked at her uneasily. "I was talking about the fairy."

"The fairy?" Amamiya-san looked up at her. Then she nodded and smiled. "Yes, I remember."

"How did you know?" she asked curiously. "Do you have second-sight? Are you an ESPer?" She had to find out how Amamiya-san knew that Ren was one.

"Huh?" Amamiya-san raised an eyebrow. "It's just one of those things that you intuitively know. Like that time, I just knew it the moment I saw it. The transparent wings, so fine that they're almost invisible. Big ones."

"Invisible wings!" Kyoko's eyes started to twinkle. Ren was a fairy. And he had wings! Big ones! But she was suddenly dismayed at the thought that everyone in the crowd that gathered by the Dark Moon shooting knew it, while she - the one true person who loved and adored fairies - failed to see it. She's known Ren for a long time now. How come she never noticed? Maybe her fairy eyes were fading, she thought depressedly. Could it be the influence of her darkened heart?

"Well yeah," Amamiya-san shrugged. "It would be weird if they were visible." She chuckled. "But like I said, they're just there. When you see them, you'll be amazed."

* * *

_10:30 AM_

"Absolutely not!"

Ren looked up at the President in shock. "Why not?" he asked. "It's not like she doesn't have the acting range for it. This isn't a role just anyone can do! Are you holding her back because you don't think she's ready for a movie debut or to get out of the Love Me Section?"

The President cocked an eyebrow up at him. "Are you telling me to let Love Me's Number One girl have a movie debut playing a mentally-disturbed girl with homicidal tendencies?"

"Well..." He didn't have to make it sound as bad as it was. "Yes."

"Why that?" the President looked dismayed. "I want my girls to be messengers of love, not harbingers of disaster! She's already well-known in television for those! You have several offers to choose from! This is the first time you've ever demanded to act opposite someone and this is what you picked? For Mogami-kun? The girl you're in love with?"

Ren looked down at his own hands as he sat. The meeting ended a few moments ago. Yashiro-san had left to head for the Acting Department for paperwork on his future projects before heading on home. Ren stayed behind to give his request to the President.

He was just trying to give her what she wanted. After he cleared his thinking last night, he rationally thought of a project that would suit Kyoko's talents. Kyoko was a talented actress who was wonderful with complex roles. Even if he was doing this to fulfill her wish to work with him, he wasn't going to insult her intelligence by requesting to work with her in a throwaway role that any pretty actress could do.

Besides, like she said last night, she didn't care what role she was going to play. She just wanted to work with him on equal ground, something he thought would be the rational thing to do if she was ever going to stop thinking herself as only his kouhai. If they worked together in a challenging role, she might start thinking of herself as an actress with equal skill - something he already knew for himself.

"Mogami-kun's been offered to star opposite Koga Hiromune," the President said.

"Yes, she told me." It was a stretch, but it's not like she can't play two roles at the same time. Three, if the movies overlapped Box "R" shooting.

"It's a romance."

The President looked like he wanted Ren to react to it so he slowly said, "O...K..." And?

"What do you have to say about that?"

"Good for her," he answered without hesitation. "Koga-san always picks good projects, and it's good that Kyoko's going to experience more genres."

"They might- no, they will kiss..."

Ren wasn't following. Obviously, a romance movie would have a kissing scene. Current standards on censorship in Japan would never allow long, passionate kissing scenes unless it was an art film or an indie movie. And even if it was, so? It's part of their jobs. Even if Kyoko flipped over the prospect, she can have a level of maturity to face in the end once she thought about it rationally.

"Last week," the President pouted, "you were raising hell for that harmless not-real kiss between Hikaru-kun and Mogami-kun. Well, it wasn't true, but how can you be so calm about this? What's the matter?" he pouted childhishly at Ren. "Don't you want to steal Mogami-kun's debut with Koga-kun so she can have it with you?"

"A stage kiss and a real kiss are worlds apart," Ren answered with all honesty. "Kyoko already knows this. You know this. And I'm not trying to steal away Kyoko's debut with Koga-san. That's like robbing her of a great opportunity. Why are you bringing it up?"

"Ren..." the President said in an ominously low tone. "I know what you're doing here."

"Y-you do?" Ren swallowed.

"You're not only obvious, you don't even know you're being obvious," the President scolded. "You want to keep working with her so you don't have to reveal your true feelings for her. You want to have a reason to be near her. That statement about how she said that it's impossible for Cain and Setsuka to be separated really got to you, did it?"

"N-no!" Ren denied. He wanted to give her what she wanted. It was something only he can give her, and it was actually within his power to give it. So, why wouldn't he? It wasn't like she was undeserving. It was completely different from what the president was saying, but he wasn't going to admit it to older man. Even if this was the first time Ren ever asked this kind of request for assistance with a personal agenda, it was still work. Advancing his personal whims won't make it sound any less like a genuine offer for a job. It wasn't just some kind of random offer with the purposes of just spending time with someone. "Contrary to what you're thinking, she's actually a very talented actress who can work any role she's given."

"I already know that."

Of course the President would know. He didn't own the largest entertainment agency in Japan for nothing.

"I won't stop you if you wish to tell the director your request," Lory sighed. "It's foolish though. I just think that it's terrible since your movie's scheduled for release earlier than the romance with Koga." Then he pouted. "Couldn't you have at least chosen a nice, fluffy, romantic movie? You'll definitely get somewhere with her with that kind, even if it was a role. I just think you're thinking too much with your head. She could easily be offered that role by any director and casting director since she has the reputation for it."

"I'm not putting forward this request just because of that."

"Yes, you are!" Lory countered. "If you're going to play favorites, why don't you just go to the extreme and find the cheesiest romance that you can find? I've been waiting for the day that someone will see Mogami-kun's potential outside of being a villain. I refuse to help. So if you're going to use this as a tool of being close to her, forget it. Do that off-camera!"

* * *

_3:00 PM_

"Kyaa~!"

Everyone watched in horror as the chord that held the lead actress snapped.

Today, the movie was shooting on location in a private shipping company at the harbor. They were in the warehouse where the actress was running along the top of stacked crates while BJ shot at her. She was supposed to jump across a gap between crates, but tripped before she could get momentum and started free-falling 50 feet. Her weight wouldn't hold anymore because of the sudden pressure.

The few actors and crewmen who were quick on their toes, dragged an air mattress on her projected fall point and some of them scrambled to break her fall on the hard concrete floor.

She landed right onto Cain-nii-san's outstretched arms. It was like a perfect scene, but reality made him stagger back, bump onto two crewmen who were also there with the same purpose, and trip on their tangled legs. Cain-nii-san landed on his rear with the actress sprawled over his lap and chest.

Setsu finally let out a breath of relief.

"Get the medic here!" called the director.

"I-I-I-" the actress said shakily. "I'm OK!" Her shoulders were visibly shaking and her face was pale. "I just... I just... I'm just a little," she swallowed, "sh-shaken up."

That wasn't a little! Kyoko wanted to shout out.

"Um... th-thank... thank you..." she turned to her rescuer and stiffened at the sight of Cain-nii-san. "Hii- Hiii- Heel-san!" she managed to squeak out. She scrambled backwards in obvious fright. With her face flushed and her breathing rasping heavily, she stammered out, "Tha-Thank yo-u very much!"

Setsuka sighed. She was much more scared of being rescued by nii-san than the fall.

The director and some crew members surrounded the actress and Setsu ran up to her brother.

"Are you OK, nii-san?" she grabbed his arm and started feeling for any kind of damage.

"I'm fine, Setsu," her nii-san smiled reassuringly as she grabbed the other arm.

"OK," the director suddenly announced. "We're going to take a break from shooting this and head on to scene 23 where BJ is running around the crates to chase after the detective." He turned to him and asked, "Is that alright with you, Heel-san?"

Cain-nii-san nodded. The scene required him to be suspended in a harness because there was a 20-foot jump from a high pile of crates in the chase with the male detective. Then the female detective, who Cain shot down, would run the car into the warehouse and crash into the crates where he stood. That would be done by a stunt driver. But the thought of a crashing car made Setsu antsy and glance at her brother worriedly. Under her fingertips, she felt his muscles tense.

She was scared of Cain performing the stunt because of what happened during his previous car stunt. Still, he told Setsu previously that he wanted to do his own stunts and that she had to have faith in his abilities to do so. Crushing her personal concerns, she decided that she shouldn't be wasting her energy worrying and just focused on assisting him. "Do you want me to get you a drink before you start, nii-san?" she asked prettily.

He looked surprised, but smiled down at her as he nodded.

Setsu quickly made her way outside of the warehouse and to the vending machine situated nearby. When she returned inside the warehouse, Cain-nii-san already had the harness under his jacket which would then be attached to the cable ropes when he performed the stunt. He was standing in the corner and was talking to the actress he just saved. She stopped dead on her tracks and stared. Something twinged insider her. Something, she thought, didn't seem right...

"So as I was saying," the actress smiled up at him. "Do you think that you can pry yourself away from your little sister's death grip and come with me tonight?"

Of course, something wasn't right! she decidedly stepped forward. Cain Heel wasn't the approachable or friendly type. And that actress was standing just a little too closely to him.

Once she got near enough, she latched herself to her brother's arm and looked up at him. "Is she bothering you?"

"Ah, Setsuka-san," the actress smiled at her. "I'm really grateful that your brother saved me earlier, and I was just asking him to have dinner with me tonight."

"Oh, how nice," Setsuka gave her a patronizing smile while her tone hinted sarcasm. "What time should we be there?"

"Erm..." The actress looked nervous. "I'm actually just asking Heel-san."

"No."

"Setsuka-san," the actress smiled at her patronizingly. "Tomorrow is Heel-san's last day here on the set. I'm sure he would like to get to know some of us before he leaves."

"Well," Setsuka answered back not letting go of Cain-nii-san's arm. "If he wanted to get to know other people, he would have done so already. So, I won't let you take him out."

The actress frowned and lost her patience with her. "You're so full of it, imoto-chan," she glared at her. "Since the first day of the shoot, you've been nothing but mean to anyone and everyone who tried to get to know you and your brother. We all get along with each other in this production, and Heel-san would probably be a good friend if you weren't around."

Setsu let out a snort. "If you think he's like that, you really don't know what he's like." Kyoko's typical reaction would be to retreat. She didn't like nonsensical arguments like this. Especially over some guy too. But Setsuka is too obsessed with her brother and so she cannot stand the thought of having anyone else near him. She would definitely bite, scratch and nip at anyone who tried to be close.

"No, I don't. That's why I asked him out; I want to know what he is like." The actress haughtily raised an eyebrow, "and why are you even here? You're not even part of this movie. All you do is give people dirty looks like you own Heel-san or something." Then she acted surprised and smiled as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Oops! I forgot, he's your brother. You can't own him."

"And so what?" Setsu snapped back.

"Well, Setsuka-san, there are some things that little sisters can't do for their big brothers."

"Really now?" Setsuka raised an eyebrow. "Well, everything that my brother does certainly points to the direction that there isn't anyone else in this world he would rather be with other than me," she declared confidently. After all, it was obvious. The way Cain-nii-san would always plaster himself all over her whenever. Cain and Setsu loved each other. They kissed. They're had a very weird kind of brother and sister relationship. She was so sure that what she was telling this actress was true.

The actress turned red. "We- well, you really are an eyesore. I don't even want to be in the same room as you now." Then she stared at her. "Now that I think about it, I could always say that I don't want to act whenever you're around."

"Well, you're stupid," Setsu snapped back. "As if you're really going to impress anyone with that kind of attitude." Then she glared at her. "Anyone who can't perform should be asked to leave."

"Oh?" she raised an eyebrow. "You think that playing this role is easy? Well, let me tell you that it takes a lot of dedication and concentration to do it. If you had more than half the brain and half the talent you currently possess, you'd be in the movie instead of running around like your brother's lackey and groupie." Then she smiled. "Come to think of it, you're not even needed here. I could always make the point and complain to the director about it. I'm sure that he'll see things my way."

Setsu just glared at her and was about to give a scathing retort. Everyone knew that the Heel siblings were an unpleasant lot. If anything else, she'll get blamed and laughed at for even attempting to come near them. She was just about to say so too when Cain-nii-san finally spoke up. "Actually," he said. "If she isn't around, then I won't act."

Setsu whipped her head to him in surprise. What? she thought. Then she panicked. No! He didn't just say that. There was no way in hell that Cain-nii-san would ever say that. True, he was a high strung baby, but he was a complete professional when it came to the work. "Nii-san!"

The actress was just as surprised. "Hee-Heel-san..."

"It's going to be really difficult," Cain-nii-san nodded as he talked to himself audibly, looking like he wasn't paying attention to either of them. "If Setsu's around, you can't act. If she's not around, I can't act. Considering that the two of us have several more scenes together, how will we be able to do that?"

What the hell? Setsu's spirit had left like a wisp of smoke, leaving Kyoko completely petrified. He can't mean what he said!

Of course, he was acting as Cain. But even Cain-nii-san wouldn't do something to compromise the shoot. Because she opened her big mouth and used big words around the actress... Damn it, she thought. He was obviously trying to teach her a lesson again.

"I'm sure the director will think of something," Cain-nii-san continued his litany. He turned in the direction of the director, raised his arm and called out, "Dire-"

Without thinking, Kyoko grabbed his arm and pulled him with such force that his sentence got cut off. The actress also made a grab for his arm to shut him up too. When Kyoko's saw that she was touching him, she pulled nii-san away from him towards her. "Get away from him," she bit out. Then she looked up at him and pulled him out of the actress' earshot.

Once alone in a corner, she hissed, "Are you crazy?"

"What do you mean?" Cain Heel answered, looking at her cluelessly. "She said that she didn't want to act with you around. I'm just thinking about how I can't act without you around." He looked at her a little resignedly. "It's going be be really hard, Setsu. Especially with the kinds of scenes left to film."

Now wasn't the time that he should be acting out the bratty little kid Cain sometimes was! Kyoko thought in panic as she struggled to recapture Setsu's character. Ren was, first and foremost, a professional. "C-Ca-Cai..." she stammered.

He reached out and pinched her cheek. "Oh, you're calling me Cain now?"

Kyoko gawked at his reaction. He wasn't taking this seriously at all! She continued to struggle hard to get back into Setsuka's character and stammered, "Ni-Nii-san..." She had to get him back on track. The actress only needed a little coercion to act - she'd witnessed it several times while they were shooting. Anyone could persuade her - her manager, the director, the lead actor, anyone in the staff. But Cain... Cain Heel had never acted up when he was acting. Mostly because she was around. If she wasn't around and he refused to act, no one would be able to persuade him. Considering his character, chances were that no one would dare even try. That stupid actress knew it too because she panicked when she heard Cain-nii-san say he wouldn't act.

Cain-nii-san was just staring at her with his arms crossed and his face looking at her with a boyish look of stubborness. Kyoko couldn't think of anything she could say to get him back on the set. Suddenly, e closed his eyes and sighed.

Kyoko stiffened at the reaction. Did he just NG her? Her panic was preventing her from fulling embracing her character, but he was the one who was acting completely out of character by refusing to perform! She should be the one to NG and sigh on him!

"No," she firmly said, looking up at him as she raised her arms and formed an X with her forearms. "You have to go and act."

Cain-nii-san just stared at her and blinked. "Are you NG-ing me?" he raised an eyebrow.

Kyoko swallowed. He made it sound so bad. A kohai NG-ing a senpai, but...

"Yes," she firmly answered. "You're being unreasonable. You've never been this difficult when a shoot was involved. You go back into that set and be prepared to do the stunt so we can move on with the day without causing any problems for anyone." Cain-nii-san just stared at her with a deadpan look on his face and Kyoko knew that she still wasn't off the hook for her behavior so she swallowed and continued, "I know that I've become a real brat just now. I... I just didn't like anyone coming near you." She felt her cheeks grow warm, but she kept her gaze fixed on his. "We... we'll deal with that when we get home. Just please," she looked up at him and ordered, "get back on the set and finish the day's work."

He just continued staring at her for a moment, and Kyoko was out of ideas on how to convince him.

A sinking feeling overcame her as she realized that she was just going to have to confront him about her mistake then and there. She was dreading it, but having to wait was worse.

"Well alright then," he straightened up and marched back on the set as Kyoko watched in amazement.

That was it? Kyoko thought, a little disgruntled that she went through such emotional turmoil when all she needed to say was that he needed to get back to work. She told him to so he did?

The actress he saved looked at him expectantly. She tried to talk to him, but Cain-nii-san barely acknowledged her. He just remained unresponsive and so Setsu was able to curb her temper at the actress' continuous actions to be closer to her precious nii-san. Although she did not get her date, the actress still looked kind of relieved that Cain didn't protest when the stunt coordinator came up to him and latched on the cable rope to the harness. At least she would not be at fault for holding up production.

After testing the strength of the locks, the stunt coordinator called out to the guy who was operating the crane, and he pressed something on the master control which then lifted Cain-nii-san up a few feet to test if the equipment would hold his weight before dropping him back on the ground. Setsuka walked up to her older brother and fussed as she assisted him with whatever he needed before the stunt.

A few moments later after much discussion between the director, the actors, and the stunt coordinators, an announcement came to quiet down on the set because the scene was going to start.

Kyoko watched as Cain-nii-san was slowly hoisted up towards the crates where he was going to run before making the jump. While she looked at him, she suddenly realized that she didn't give him his pre-stunt good luck kiss. Then her face paled when he made the unnecessary movement of bodily turning to look at her. The movement caused him to lose his center of gravity and flip upside-down. She let out a strangled cry and turned immediately to the stunt coordinator who was operating the crane before quickly returning her attention back to Cain-nii-san.

At that moment, Setsuka's heart stopped because the warehouse's bright lighting got in the way of her view of her brother. All she could make out was a silhouette of how he regained his balance and flipped back into an upright position.

"You OK, Heel-san?" the stunt coordinator team leader called out through the megaphone.

Cain-nii-san turned his head towards him and gave a thumbs-up.

She knew that she should be thankful that her brother was alright, but all that came into her head at the moment was how that single, fluid motion from Cain-nii-san so perfectly mimicked the flying motion Corn did when he showed her when she was six.

As Setsu's spirit once again fled her body, Kyoko's heart dropped to her feet at the realization.

Ren really was a fairy prince!

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- 11,000 words! Hell yeah, feeling like a badass. And the day's not even finished yet. Yes, there is chapter 13.5. Sorry.

- If you still care about this story, sorry for the delay. Holidays, writer's block, etc. If you don't care, that's fine too.

- And yes, I realize that Ren should have told Kyoko about the fairy prince comment, but think about Kyoko thinking about it for a few days. Wouldn't that just be awesome? Besides, I don't want any more "Ren explains it to Kyoko like a child" as far as Corn is concerned. I want Kyoko to realize it for herself. Well, I don't think she would without some explanation from Ren, but I want her to experience a lot of evidence that points to the affirmative before Ren lays everything down for her. So yay! Mission accomplished. That only took over a month.

- Next Chapter: Kyoko realizes just how unattainable Tsuruga Ren is. Also, I'm hellbent on giving Sho a happy ending. Because you almost never read fanfiction that gives him a happy ending. So, next chapter is SHO-CHAN'S HAPPY ENDING!111!1 No one can ever put a good Fuwacchi down!


	15. Chapter 15

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Thirteen-Point-Five**

**Acknowledgments:** Jhiz for beta-reading and soundboarding. Runadaemon for also beta-reading some bits.

**Dedications: **J Luc Pitard, your review made me facepalm because I've been too liberal with the clues.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**Still 3 Days Before White Day (March 11)**

_8:30 PM_

"Are you sure about this?" Sho turned to his manager as she parked the car at the side of the road.

"Mm...? This place?" Shoko-san answered. "Of course not. Just like every place called 'Daruma' we've been to, my guess is as good as yours."

It was almost nine in the evening. He and Shoko-san had been running all over town to every restaurant with the word 'daruma' on it since four in the afternoon. One turned out to be a trendy place that served fusion food and coffee, another was a conveyor sushi place, another was a ramen shop, while yet another was another sushi place - more traditional than the last, but unfortunately, none of them had ever heard of Kyoko. The last place they've been to sold actual daruma dolls.

Sho had lost count of the places they'd visited and the list was growing short.

The next place was near a business district and was crawling with salary-men and office ladies. The GPS on his phone was saying that the Daruma-ya was inside the pedestrian road across the street. He was running out of time. He guessed he could finish the rest of the list tomorrow night because he'd be getting off early again.

This was going to be the last place for the evening, he decided as he moved to step out of the car.

"Good luck, Sho," Shoko-san said as she settled down in the driver seat and took out a cigarette.

"Hey," he exclaimed as he moodily glared at her. "Aren't you coming with me?"

"Eh?" she turned to him guiltily. "But I'm tired, Sho!" she complained. "We've covered more meters walking and driving today than any of your busy days. You try walking that much in high heels!"

"Fine..." he sighed resignedly. "But if I get mobbed, you'll have more trouble."

"Don't worry," she answered, waving her hand. "This isn't Shibuya or Harajuku. The crowd here is more mellow and totally different from the last three places. I don't think your demographic is here. Just don't forget your cap."

Sho grabbed the cap from the backseat and took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. He crossed the street and entered the pedestrian road. It was a business district, but the whole atmosphere said average - mid-sized, which was something Kyoko would like. If it was the place, she would have stuck out like a sore thumb. She was an actress for crying out loud! She should be surrounded by bright lights and glamorous people, not hiding out in a small corner of town.

The musician caught the attention of several people, but he thought it had more to do with the flashy clothes he was wearing and not because they recognized him. He really stood out at this type of place. It was a good thing that he had his dye job hidden under the cap, or everyone would really notice. This wasn't one of the times where he wanted attention from other people. He was a man on a mission.

Kyoko definitely didn't belong in this place, he thought. Sho felt much like a prince that came to take his princess away from all the drudgery in which she was living. He grinned at the thought. She'd love that... that girl who still believed in fairy tales. He just had to be the prince. He always had been, right?

Sho stopped in front of the Daruma-ya and felt the aura of home. Unlike all the places he'd been, it definitely reminded him of where he grew up because it reeked of tradition and old-fashioned charm.

It might be the kind of place Kyoko would have worked. She would have felt at home there.

He reached for the door and slid it open. It was bustling with suits and lively chatter. He glanced around, half-expecting Kyoko to be coming up to greet him in traditional clothes.

Instead, it was an old woman, who he assumed to be the okami-san, who called out from a far table, "Welcome!"

Sho stood and watched as she walked across the room to the taisho behind the nearby counter. "Two more of the chicken, dear," she said to place the order. Then cheerfully, she turned to Sho. "Welcome, sir! Would you like a table or perhaps the bar?"

"Um... no," Sho answered, trying to be polite. The okami had a motherly feel and seemed nice. "I'm actually just looking for someone. A former employee of yours, though I'm not sure if this is the place she worked at..."

The okami and the taisho turned to him curiously.

"An employee of ours?" the okami-san asked. "Well, we had several parttimers who worked here. Who are you talking about?"

"Erm... Mogami Kyoko," Sho replied as he looked at their faces carefully, gauging any change in their reactions. Then he raised his hand up to his shoulder. "This tall, large eyes, long black hair-" He used her old description because he figured that she was an old employee, then he amended "Although, it could have been short and chestnut by the time she left... Very quiet but can be really loud, runs around on a bike with um..." He paused, at a loss of words to describe the girl he loved whom he'd known his entire life. "Great, um... legs..."

Suddenly, the taisho raised a large knife, and from behind the counter where he worked, he threateningly said, "Get out..."

Sho's father was the head chef at the ryokan so he was familiar with the equipment. Food artisans like them would display and use their knives in front of customers as they prepared the food to show off their expertise. That knife, Sho knew, was used to cut through bone.

Precariously, Sho took a step back.

"Dear!" the okami-san cried out. "Don't make a scene!"

The place was packed, but everyone was pre-occupied with their meals, and the chatter drowned out anything else. The few who noticed were half-drunk and cheered the spectacle.

"I've had enough of you flashy boys coming in here, pretending to be customers when all you want to do is to see her," the tasho angrily bit out. "You're not the first one in here, but I wanted you be the last. Now.." his glare intensified. "Turn around and never come back..."

Since coming to Tokyo, Sho had met many powerful people ranging from musical executives to company presidents to politicians, but he had never been more intimidated in his entire life.

He stumbled backwards and went out the door.

As Sho recovered, he stared at the restaurant. He had just faced death at the edge of a knife, and yet the only thought occupying his mind was the question: Who the hell else had come to the restaurant to look for Kyoko?

* * *

_9:00 PM_

"...right?" Kijima Hidehito said as he lounged around the waiting area of a popular TV talk show after their turn. "I mean, I look good, I'm gainfully employed and I work hard - I haven't been in the industry that long, but I get steady work and good roles. No one can say I'm just a struggling actor. I have girls coming after me for a variety of reasons. I'm a nice guy..."

"OK," the girl answered although sounding completely bored.

For once, Hidehito was not trying to hit on her even if she was really pretty and polite. Somehow, he couldn't find the energy to do it, but when he met her earlier before the start of the talk show, he got the feeling that she was someone who would understand his situation.

"Also," he continued, "I like kids! Girls love that, right?"

"Not all of them," she pointed out. "Also, Tsuruga Ren also likes kids."

"Sure, but have you seen how he talks to them!" Hidehito answered indignantly. "I've seen him with the kids at Dark Moon. He talks to them like little adults! I mean... sure, even kid actors like to be taken seriously, but he never realized that kids have excess energy and need to have an outlet for it! I play with them because they always look like they're about to die of boredom while waiting their turn for the shoot! And it's very obvious too, especially with the way we play 'Hero' - I get punched around a lot, and that really hurts!"

"O...K..." the girl answered. "Sometimes, you just need to throw in some Maki'E and Qreos to shut them up."

"It's not like that!" Hidehito countered. "Most of them just really want to have someone to play with!" Then he realized that he was going off topic. "Anyway, my point is... I'm a catch! People give me a hard time and give me a reputation for being a playboy, but it's not wrong to be like that when you're in your twenties and not exclusive to someone, right? I don't really see why Kyoko can't see that!"

"Eh?"

"Instead," he grumbled, "she prefers to hang out with guys like Tsuruga Ren, Fuwa Sho, and Ishibashi Hikaru... There was that guy from the visual kei band too- I can't remember his name. I mean, she's not really my type, but she got me completely interested in her. I have qualities that she should be interested in because of that housewife personality of hers! She'd rather date weirdos and have them lining up at the doorstep of her drama in a span of two weeks, but only plays hard-to-get with me..."

It was then that the atmosphere of the room changed completely. Hidehito turned to his co-guest and nearly jumped in surprise as she simmered with a dangerous aura.

"Mo!" she cried as she stood up and stalked out of the room in her bright pink coverall that looked exactly like Kyoko-chan's. "That idiot!"

* * *

_10:00 PM_

It was a party to celebrate the success of their new single. It was in a club, and everyone was happily talking and partying. The place was packed with musical executives, friends in the industry, and pretty ladies.

One of the latter had just passed by the corner table in which they settled, and Reino slowly turned his head to follow her.

"That's new," Miroku commented.

"What is?" Reino turned to his friend.

"This is the first time since you met Kyoko that I've ever seen your head get turned by a pretty little thing," Miroku chuckled. "Did something change your mind? I thought you liked her because of her extraordinary qualities."

Reino reached out for a drink and brooded over it for a while. There were that drama actor, that variety show host, and that movie star - they were all weak and could be easily manipulated if he felt like it. Fuwa Sho was also another sap he could control because he's gullible, but he wasn't the type to be afraid to fight him. And then there was Tsuruga Ren... Then he sighed lazily and said, "I don't want to die for her."

* * *

_10:00 PM_

"There!" Setsu cheerfully exclaimed as she pulled out a small splinter with a pair of fine tweezers.

During filming, Cain's stunt went along well with no problems. However, after the shoot, the actor started feeling a little irritation with his hand. He shrugged it off, got dressed in Cain's usual clothes, and covered it up with gloves. In the car, Kyoko noticed that he kept touching it. By the time they got back to the hotel room and her brother removed his gloves, it was really red and swollen. After a brief examination, the irritation turned out to be a small but noticeable splinter lodged just under the skin of his dominant hand. It was most likely from running around on the wooden crates. Setsu wanted to bring him to the emergency room, but getting Tsuruga Ren to go - even under the guise of Cain Heel - was tricky and would take a lot of explaining.

She set the tweezers down and looked up at her brother. She then paused as she noticed that he had that little puppy dog look on his face again.

"Di... did it hurt?" she stammered. She started wondering if a trip to the ER was really needed. She also wanted to cuddle the little boy who was making those baby pouts with that mouth. She let go of his hand and grabbed a cotton ball and a disinfectant.

"Eh?" Cain-nii-san blinked. "No. Not really. I found it more annoying than painful."

"Well, you just let it sit there for too long before doing anything about it," she scolded like the caring sister she was.

It was so weird... On their way back to the hotel, Kyoko spent the whole time huddled in a corner of the car, waiting for Ren to lash out at her because she acted like a brat, NG-ed him, and failed to get into character. Now, she was scolding him for ignoring something that could have turned out much worse had he ignored it and let it get infected.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to look lame just because of a small thing like this..."

...and she was getting away with it too! she thought outrageously. Now she had even gotten an apology from him. She could have gone on in a tirade of reason how that small splinter of wood could have led to infection and possible amputation because he was the type who would go on ignoring something like this because he was too focused on work. But she didn't because she still had an offense against him.

Never one to run away from her own mistake, Kyoko set down the cotton ball after disinfecting the hand and put an icepack on it. She pressed it down and held it in place. Then she looked up at him and started, "Um... Ren?"

"Mm?" he looked at her curiously.

"Um..." she shyly continued. "I'm... I'm sorry about the thing on the set earlier."

"Huh?"

"About acting like a whiny little brat earlier," she clarified, making her apology more concrete.

"Why?"

"Why?" she looked up at him in exasperation.

"You're supposed to be a whiny little brat," he clarified.

"I almost held up the shoot and almost made enemies with the lead actress!" she reasoned. It was true that Setsu would be the type to get herself into trouble and let her brother handle everything - that happened on their first day with Seaweed Head and his goons - but not when it's supposed to be about work! Surely, Ren would see it that way and not through the googly eyes Cain had for his sister. There really has to be some kind of line that needed to be drawn with that idiot brother!

"I wouldn't have been able to act without you," he countered.

That wasn't a reason! Kyoko outrageously thought. "Of course you could have! I'm not the boss of you!" the actress exclaimed. It's not like she did anything beyond acting as his temporary manager. She did nothing but accompany him and make sure that everything he needed was obtained.

"Then?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "How else would Cain have been able to stop two girls from having a catfight?"

Kyoko was about to continue her litany of reasons why Ren could still have managed to act even without her when Ren cut her off with the reason. Stop them? Catfight? True, Setsu was supposed to be the type who would start one. She almost did or so she deduced as she looked at Ren. Did he act up like that just to make them stop? In Cain's way anyway... Cain was hardly the diplomatic-type like Ren was. A catfight between a whiny teenager and dramatic lead actress would have led to bigger problems on the set and would have delayed the shoot more.

She stared at Ren weirdly. He knew what was going on better than she did, and moreover, he so easily figured out how to fix it without breaking character. Was he really that omniscient?

"What?" he finally asked her when she continued to stare at him.

"We-well... nothing," she answered shortly, feeling a little embarrassed. How could an actor like him exist? He was always so quick on his toes about everything. Wasn't there anything in this world which made him feel awkward? It made her feel like he wasn't human or something...

Wasn't human? she thought suddenly. She turned to him. Of course he wasn't human! He already admitted it to her and someone like him wasn't the type to get upset with petty things... just like a fairy prince. He was all dignity and wisdom.

He did tell her to think about what he said last night, and she had. Based on all the things that happened, she was sure that she was as positive about it as she could ever be. Thinking about it in this context seemed to make much more sense than ever so she really should give him an answer about it. She turned to him, and he looked at her expectantly. She opened her mouth when her phone rang. Ren courteously reached out and held the ice pack to free her hands so she could reach the phone that sat on the table.

"Hello?"

"Kyoko-chan!" a cheerful voice greeted her.

* * *

_10:18 PM_

"Huh? The Daruma-ya?" Kyoko-chan asked incredulously.

"Yep!" Hikaru smiled and nodded even though he was speaking to her on the phone. "Yuusei, Shin'ichi, Kijima-kun and I ate there last night. The fish was really good. We think that you might like it there."

"Eh?" she said with a breath of exasperation. "I thought Yuusei-san and Shin'ichi were not coming because they're taking out their girlfriends on White Day."

"They got dumped," Hikaru answered with a smile, earning dirty looks from his friends.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Then suddenly, she cooed, "Aww... But they're such nice guys."

"Yeah, yeah," Hikaru answered cheerfully. "There's just no justice in this world. I'm so heartbroken for them. Let's move on from that," Then he let out a chuckle. "So anyway... what do you think? Daruma-ya on White Day?"

"Well..."

"What's the matter?" Hikaru asked, concerned. "You don't like fish? I don't know how the other food is, but some of the patrons really liked the chicken."

"The fish is the best seller, but the chicken is really popular because it goes well with beer," she answered.

"Eh? You've been there before, Kyoko-chan?" Hikaru swallowed. Now, the idea doesn't seem so appealing. He and the guys were really excited about bringing her there because it was a traditional type place and Kyoko-chan seemed like the type to like that style of cooking. They thought it was perfect especially when they considered their decision based on her preferences whenever they would have their pre-show snacks.

"Well..." she hesitated. "Yeah..."

"Oh," Hikaru felt a little disheartened. "Then you probably don't want to eat there..."

"No!" she answered cheerfully. "It's been a while since I've been there so it would be really nice to eat the food there again. I really miss it, to be honest."

"Then, great!" Hikaru exclaimed as his spirits started picking up again. "So it'll be there at the Daruma-ya on the 14th around say... nine? Are you going to come from somewhere or should we just meet up there?"

"Um... I have a Box 'R' shoot that day," she answered. "I'm going to be there until around seven, but you never know how some shoots tend to extend. I think it's a better idea just to meet up with you guys there."

"OK..." Hikaru nodded. Then he turned his head when he felt a breath on his neck. He shifted and found Yuusei and Shin'ichi looking at him encouragingly with scary, unblinking eyes. "Oh..." he continued. "One more thing, Kyoko-chan..."

"Yep?"

Hikaru opened his mouth then stopped and hesitated. His pressing concern was a private matter; it was a very personal question. While Kyoko-chan was a good friend of the group, she was usually quiet about her private life. She would throw in a comment once in a while, but it was usually in response to something the guys were already discussing. He worried that she might get offended by the question...

Yuusei gave him a nudge, frowning down at him as he crossed his arms. Shin'ichi was gesturing for him to ask it. The guys, he concluded, were probably thinking how easy it was... especially since they weren't the one being forced to ask.

"Hikaru-san?"

Hikaru turned his attention back to the person on the other line. He swallowed nervously. "Um..." he let out a small laugh. "Well, Kyoko-chan... The guys and I... Well, you know how hard it is to find friends in show business. I mean, we've known each other for a while now, and we really want what's best for you so you don't have to feel like you have to hide anything from us..."

"That..." she shyly answered. "That's quite a thing to confess." Then she hesitated and said, "I really don't know what to say about that. I mean... tha-thank you. I really value your friendship too..."

Something gutted Hikaru in his stomach. It was becoming clear to him that Kyoko-chan really treated him as nothing more than a good friend who just happened to be a guy. "Tha... that's right," he answered. "That's why you should never feel like you have to hide anything from us."

"Eh?"

"Kyoko-chan..."

"Yes?"

"Are you married to Tsuruga-kun?" Hikaru hesitantly inquired.

"Eh?" she softly exclaimed. Then there was a shout that would ring in his ear for the whole evening. "EEEEEEEEEEEH?" Then she started sputtering. "Huh? What? When? Why? Is there some kind of rumor that's going around about that?"

"Eh... no!" he belatedly realized that, of course, something like that would be bad for anyone's career. It would be damaging to Tsuruga-kun whose fanbase is predominantly female as well as to Kyoko-chan who was being marketed out to teenage males. News like that would definitely hurt their popularity. He made a mental note to tell the guys to shut their mouths over the thing. He should send a message to Kijima-kun for good measure too. He didn't know about what Hikaru heard the other day with Tsuruga-kun, but better safe than sorry.

"Are you sure?" Kyoko-chan sounded like she was about to cry.

Then he started fussing."It's nothing like that, Kyoko-chan! We never heard it from anyone. It's just something the guys and I thought about."

"Then why would you think that!" she cried out.

"Well..." he answered honestly. She deserved to hear the truth. "Remember the other day when you left the Kimagure Rock set before curtain because you had to go to LME because you said your mother-in-law came to see you?" There was silence on the other line. "Kyoko-chan?" Hikaru cocked his head to the side.

Then the whole aura of the conversation completely changed. Something dark was filtering through the other line, and Kyoko-chan let her voice drag out as she said, "What about it?"

"Remember that Tsuruga-kun was also there?" he asked. "When you left, he started saying something about his mother and..." Actually, he was the one who started muttering about his mother. Tsuruga-kun just said it and stared at him, but Kyoko-chan didn't need to know that detail because it was embarrassing as hell. "So I thought..."

Then he cringed when she remained silent. Yes, he had been dumped before he could do anything. However, it was not a very simple thing to turn off his feelings like a light switch just because he decided on it. He had nursed his crush on her for so long, there was still a little part of him that wished that she would deny it and start talking about how there's no chance of that ever happening.

Strangely, he got his wish. However, it was not quite in the way he hoped it would go as Kyoko-chan started a long tirade about how something like that would never happen. She started rambling about fairies and princes and living in a fairy mound. The more she talked, the more confused he became. He knew that Kyoko-chan had a reputation for being a weirdo in LME, but Hikaru always thought it was just a little spice in her that made her interesting. For the first time since he met her, he fully understood why people thought that way.

Maybe she was speaking in metaphors? he thought as an overwhelming feeling filled him. Now, he was at the point where he no longer understood what on earth she was saying.

* * *

_10:31 PM_

Ren turned when his eye caught Kyoko starting to move around in her usual animated way. He just stared and watched.

Sometime into Kyoko's conversation with Ishibashi Hikaru-san, he stood up and stepped out onto the balcony. He resisted the urge to interrupt the call, but Kyoko already said that she was friends with Bridge Rock, and he was never the type who would prevent her from having friends whether they be girls or guys. She did say before that Corn was her first friend, and for a six-year old that was just weird. After that, she endured so much by being at Fuwa's side. He just wished that he was a little less insecure about where he stood because he felt that she didn't even consider him as a friend. So, with all the effort he could muster, he stood up and stepped outside. He just didn't want to hear her be so happy about going out with someone else.

Where did his nerve go? he wondered in frustration. Last night, he was determined and got frustrated to the point of telling her everything. Then he blurted out something embarrassing - Well, it wasn't exactly embarrassing since Kyoko loves fairies and princes and his fairy prince anyway. Unfortunately, that was definitely not his idea of confessing to a girl. As he stared out at the view from the balcony, he started thinking back to how easily he could get a girlfriend; he remembered that all he did was invite them out, and they were a couple. If he did that with Kyoko, she would probably open the door, step out and ask why he wasn't going outside with her.

He was so disappointed with himself. He had never fumbled so much in his entire life. Well, the President once told him that being in love with someone would make him not care if he was being messy or lame. He's already past the point where he'd accepted that he's in love with Kyoko. He just didn't count on the full indignity and the beatings his pride was taking. He created the role of Tsuruga Ren to be someone calm who could withstand whatever challenge was given to him. Somehow, being around Kyoko made every layer of that cool facade he put up crumble.

Her voice was getting louder as he heard her muffled voice through the glass. She looked outraged and distressed, but Ren stopped himself from sliding the glass door fully open. Still, he had opened it enough to crack it and allow some sound to reach him.

"...fairy mound and be trapped there for a hundred years!"

Ren was so surprised at the statement that he shut the sliding door louder than he intended. What on earth are they talking about?

Then Kyoko's demeanor changed. She started smiling again and nodding. After this change, she hung up the phone and started shaking. Concerned, Ren opened the door, and she turned to him in surprise when he stepped inside the room.

"Kyoko...?"

"Ren..." she turned to him with her face as white as a sheet. "Ah, that's where you went," she said as Ren closed the balcony door behind him.

"What happened?" he asked, keeping his tone and face straight. "Weren't you just talking to Ishibashi-san about your White Day date?"

"Well, yeah... that's still on," she answered.

Ren suddenly felt his stomach clench tight. She wasn't even denying it was a date.

"But..." her eyebrows knitted, and she looked at him nervously. "There's..."

"What is it?" he asked gently. If he showed any other emotion, she wouldn't tell him. Her face was on the verge of freaking out, and it would be difficult once she worked herself into that level of distress.

"There's a..." Kyoko bit her lower lip. "...rumor going around..."

"About you?" Based on everything that's happened in the last few days, he wouldn't be surprised. Unlikely, he amended in his mind. That was close to impossible - Fuwa wouldn't talk, Kijima-san would rather die than admit he was rejected by someone he wasn't even that interested in, Reino's too afraid of him to do anything stupid to Kyoko, Ishibashi-san was acknowledged by Kyoko as a friend so Ren didn't think he'd do anything to hurt her, and Koga-san would never let anything blemish the reputation of a leading lady of his in guilt by association. No, a bad rumor about Kyoko can't happen. Not about that anyway. Ren' was just too aware of all the things that happened to her in the last few weeks.

She nodded. "...and you."

"Eh? What?"

"They say we're married."

"Huh?" Ren was dumbfounded. Married? Rumors gave him more credit than he was worth. His place has been as good as how he started: nowhere. "Why would they ever come up with that? We're not seen together out in public so there's no reasonable way people can conclude that," he emphasized the fact that they were Cain and Setsu every time they were out. Their characters were so different from their public images that it would be impossible for anyone to recognize them through their characters. Also, if people knew about this, his phone would be ringing off the hook. Well, his phone had been programmed to route all calls to his voice mail with the exception of the President, Yashiro-san and Kyoko's numbers. The two men with access to him would never let him hear the end of it if that rumor was really going around. "More importantly, why would your friends believe that?"

"Well, they don't!" she answered. "It's not really out in the gossip pages. It's just something the Ishibashi-onii-sans thought about because of the other day and were just making sure of it."

"Like I said," Ren exasperatingly sighed, "if they're your friends, why would they believe that?"

"Of course it's not true!" Kyoko answered defensively. "I never got suckered into it by the President..." Then she looked really quiet and looked up at him hesitantly, "Did I?"

She said it so forcefully that Ren thought it kind of hurt. Then again, Kyoko already said that she had no desire to get married, and she was never one to romanticize anything that girls usually do when they over think such situations. In fact, Kyoko almost never does. She was just pulled into this job out of nowhere. So Ren smiled reassuringly and said, "Of course not. But still, the question is: Why would your friends believe that?"

"Eh?" she answered. "Well, it's not really because they believe it. They just came up with that crazy conclusion because the other day when Shotaro's mother came to town, Hikaru-san said that he heard you start mumbling that it was your mother who came to see me, which doesn't make sense at all."

Ren was taken aback from his confident stance and felt nervous suddenly. Ishibashi-san heard that? Well, he didn't exactly go on a mumbling fit. He shut up as soon as he realized that Ishibashi-san noticed him. The idol was the one who started mumbling about his mother quite animatedly, in fact.

"I mean," Kyoko continued when he never said anything. "There's no way that could ever happen, right? The fairy queen wouldn't do something like that."

Ren stared at her for a few seconds. When he was able to recover his voice, the only thing he could say was "What?"

"The fairy queen," she said with indignation, "would never do something to embarrass her son! She has the power to stay eternally young and is the most beautiful in the land. Do you have any idea how much trouble it would cause if someone of her beauty and charm came into the human world? People would be following her around just to look at her!"

Ren couldn't believe that the conversation has turned into this. Again, he repeated in disbelief, "What?"

"And what about the fairy king!" Kyoko crossed her arms as though she was trying to look and sound logical. Slowly her face was starting to transform as she began loosing herself in the world of fairies. "If the fairy queen left the palace, the fairy king would go crazy and would probably have all the citizens of the fairy world coming to look for her. If the prince has left and the queen left, it's only natural that the king would leave too! What will happen to the kingdom?"

Well... Ren thought. That wasn't really too far away from the truth. When his mother left for Japan, his father really did come after her. But that wasn't the point. "W-Why are you still thinking about that?" he asked in horror.

She looked at him with innocent eyes and let out a small smile. "You told me to," she answered. "Well, you said that I should think about it carefully for a couple of days, but I think I came up with a rational explanation that made me conclude that everything points to the truth that you are a fairy prince!"

A rational explanation? For the fairy prince thing? He stared at her dumbfoundedly. Well, she was the type to wallow in things because she likes fairytales too much, but what the hell did she mean that she thought about it logically and came up with an explanation for everything? Even he forgot about his mistake in telling her about the fairy prince the night before as soon as they started their work day.

"Anyway," she clasped her hands together with starry eyes, "The fairy queen would never leave the palace. She just sits in the palace, looking after her people while drinking tea and eating sweets, waiting for you to come back home. It's been, what? Three or four years since you left the fairy world and joined show business."

"But that's not true," he interrupted. She quickly frowned and stared at him heatedly.

"Fine then, five years," she answered. "You had to get used to the human world before you could join in, right?"

Ren's head was still spinning. He couldn't believe it. Kyoko was trapped in the world of the fairies. Moreover, her assessment of things was almost accurate, minus the fairy bits. It was actually disturbing and creepy. She wrapped the truth in terms of fairy tales, and he was clueless at getting her out of it especially since she was the type who stuck to an idea once she got it. He was hardly a prince - fairy or otherwise. Kyoko already knew that but now she believed otherwise. At least, if Kyoko was going to know the truth about him, he would rather have her know about the cold, heartless man who looked down on the world he was, instead of some over-romanticized fairy prince. "Kyoko..."

"Eh?"

"My mother," he started, "would rather die than stay at home, drink tea and wait for things to happen. Well, she did. Because my father told her that it was the best thing for me."

"What?" She averted her gaze from him as she thought about it. "But that doesn't take away from how beautiful she is." Then she continued in a singsong voice, "A beautiful queen who has the power to stay eternally young... I still want to meet her~"

"But you have met her," Ren said. She looked at him with interest so he smiled reassuringly and said, "Unfortunately, she's a mere human being like you and me. She's not a fairy or a queen, but I could tell that she likes you a lot."

"What?" she tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean I've met her? When?"

Ren sighed. He really was going to tell her everything. Otherwise, he was going to be held up to an impossible standard, which was, in his opinion, much worse than not being thought of as a man. "When the website for the movie opened, my mother got worried about me when she saw Cain Heel so she came over to see me." Or so the President said. "She used all of her connections to sneak in to pretend to be Cain and Setsu's mother."

Kyoko's eyes turned as wide as saucers with understanding. "Our mother?"

Ren nodded somberly.

She worriedly knitted her eyebrows and asked, "Then, did that mean that I was intruding in a mother and son moment?"

Ren walked up to her and bent down to meet her eyes. "Kyoko... don't think of it that way," he said. "She obviously liked having you around when we were all together. Didn't the two of you spent a good 45 minutes in Jeanne d'Arc just so the two of you could spend time together shopping while you two left me outside? Didn't you like her?"

"I-I did..." she admitted hesitantly.

"Then you shouldn't think like that," he answered. "I really don't mind that you are thinking of her as your mother too."

"Ren..."

"Hm?"

"Are you sure that your mother isn't the fairy queen?" Her eyes started getting starry again. "I mean, she was so pretty."

She really was, Ren thought. But Kyoko wasn't even focusing on the more important issue here. "Aren't you even interested in knowing who she was?"

"Eh?" she blinked. Then she smiled ruefully. "Well, that's... It's kind of strange to think that now." She looked up at him worriedly. "I mean, I did want to know the name of the actress who played our mother, but now..." She shifted uncomfortably. "Now that I know that it's really your mother..." She shrugged. "I guess it's just the fantasy of having a mother that's so appealing... That's how I want to remember her. If I find out who she really is, I might start looking around for her... Playing along with the role is different from actually living it in real life, isn't it?" Then she looked up at him and questioningly asked, "She's an actress too, isn't she? I... I could tell from how she moved and acted. I mean, she wouldn't have been able to adjust to the suddenness of having a daughter character if she wasn't-"

"She is," Ren answered somberly. "Her name is Juliena Hizuri. Our father was played by Kuu Hizuri."

"Eh?"

"She was really worried when she saw Cain Heel so she came over here," Ren explained. "You actually got it right. My father did panic when she left home so he came after her to take her back home."

"But..." she looked at him inquisitively. "Kuu-oton and his wife only had one son. If you're their son, that would make you..."

Ren closed his eyes and sighed, "Kuon Hizuri."

Kyoko let out a little peep. She looked at him as though she was trying to process what he just told her.

Well, now that he said that much, he decided that he should continue and explain further. "There are a lot of reasons why." He took a deep breath, preparing himself to tell her everything from his acting career in America to Rick to how he ended up here. "It's actually a very long and complicated story..."

"It better be..." she suddenly answered, her tone suddenly dropping low and ominous.

Ren was surprised at the reaction that he blinked. "Excuse me?"

Her mouth suddenly frowned and her eyes glared at him. "Kuu-oton was really heartbroken after his son left. He even admitted to me that he thought his son would have been much happier if he and his wife weren't his parents. Was he right?"

"N-no!" Ren was taken aback at her revelation. "Well," he admitted. "I didn't know that they felt that way. I always thought it was the other way around."

"Why on earth would you think that?" She suddenly raised her knuckles to her eyes and started crying. "Kuu-oton was an idiot-parent. When I acted alongside him as Kuon, he told me I was smart even if I made him eat unseasoned fried eggs with eggshells on them just because I made the effort of making them." Then she looked up at him with teary eyes and almost-angrily said, "The fact that okaa-san came all this way just because she was worried about you says a lot too. How could you think it'd be otherwise?"

Ren just looked at her. Obviously, he thought as his heart squeezed painfully, she had a bigger heart for his parents than for him. Then again, he decided, Kyoko had always been lonely for the love of a parent more than anything else since she was child, so he could understand.

"Otou-san and oksaa-san are the sweetest people I've ever met," she said when he didn't say anything. "I want parents like that. No child could ever be so heartless to do something like that to very good people!"

"I probably was..." he shrugged. She looked like she wanted to lash out at his statement, so he hurriedly continued, "My parents and I thought that a long time ago. But we understand one another now." His heart warmed at the thought. "Whatever my father said... Well, I don't really know why he said that. I was always very happy to have them as parents. I already spoke to them about everything-" through video "-and I think they get the picture." He shook his head as he cleared his thoughts. "Like I said, there are a lot of things that happened. I can tell you everything if you want..."

She looked surprised at the statement. "I- I'm not asking you to tell me everything, Ren," she nervously stepped back. Then she took a deep breath and said, "I was just reacting to what you told me! I mean, now that you said that you and your parents understand one another, it looks like a completely different matter now. I guess, I overreacted." She bowed low. "I'm sorry."

"I'd tell you," he insisted.

"Why?" she raised her head and tilted it to the side, her face looked confused.

"Because you'd ask me to," Ren firmly said. He was already made the conscious decision to give her whatever she wanted. The problem was, she never asked for anything material - even big, impossible demands. There was no way that he would be able to show her his feelings because of that side of her that never asked for anything. He wanted so badly to show her what he can do for her.

"You don't have to," she took a step back, looking terrified to death as she shook her head wildly. "And I wasn't asking! I... I don't want to know. I don't think I can handle the responsibility of knowing!"

Ren stood still and frowned. This was the first time in his entire life he was willing to let someone into his life that much since Rick and Kyoko was acting as though she didn't want it. That, he realized, hurt. Really, really badly. He suddenly felt disheartened and every ounce of confidence in him was drained. Telling her that he loved her didn't feel like a good idea.

"You don't need to tell me!" she continued. "If you kept all this a secret all this time, why would you just say it out to me. I can't say I'm not curious, but are you sure you want to tell your kouhai everything you've been working so hard to keep all this time? I mean, I already know everything ended happily, didn't it?"

Well, it wasn't like it was a pleasant personal history he'd be forcing down on her if he told her, he reasoned. Of course, he trusted her. But the responsibility of knowing about it was really big. At least, she admitted that she thought it was a burden too heavy to bear and he didn't tell her anything that would cause her to worry so much. "I'd tell it to my favorite kouhai," he answered quietly. He just wished that this time, she would have been there for him as much as she has been all this time.

"'Tou-san said you shouldn't have favorites!" she almost-screamed in panic. Then she looked like she just realized something and slumped her shoulders and looked suspiciously - almost accusingly, at him. "You're just a ham, aren't you? A daikon."

"He was talking about roles!" Ren answered defensively. This was the first time in his life that he'd been called a ham - and it wasn't even about his acting, but she made it sound so bad that it unnerved him. "And I'm not made of stone. I'm flesh and blood as much as the next guy. I can have favorites."

"Oh yeah?" she asked tartly. "What's your favorite food?"

Ren paused. It wasn't like he liked food enough to have a favorite. He just needed it and wasn't difficult about it so he ate whatever's set in from of his - and thanks to her, right now, he'd been getting a balanced diet. "Wine jelly," he answered.

"Alcohol?" she looked disapprovingly. "That's not even food!"

"Wait!" he exclaimed when she turned around. Suddenly, he had the urge to answer the question to her satisfaction. His pride demanded it be soothed after what he just went through. "The soup that you made before. The time when you became my temporary manager? That was really good. Um... Then, there's the dish you made the night you came over around the start of Dark Moon. That was good too!"

"Don't tell me you've been eating nothing but space food before I met you!" she exclaimed, pivoting back, looking outraged.

How did it get to this? Ren thought, half-amused, half-weirded out. The conversation about the biggest secret he has as Tsuruga Ren has been reduced to his limited palette. "No, mostly convenience store stuff."

She audibly sucked in a deep breath then marched to the kitchen. "We're going to eat the best meal I can come up with! I want you to live a long life for years to come! Your future wife would insist on it!" She opened the fridge which was fully stocked and made a quick assessment.

Ren smiled a little sadly. She hadn't walked out the door, but he was feeling dissatisfied that it ended up like it did. In the end, he never accomplished anything, but it goes to show that Kyoko wasn't ready. He was really disappointed by it, but it wasn't like he wanted to give up on her. He headed for the closet to get ready for his evening shower while Kyoko prepared dinner.

"Ren?"

"What?" he turned to her.

"Is it really OK that I consider your parents as my parents?" she asked shyly.

Ren smiled and nodded. "You bet. I don't think they'd want it any other way."

"And everything turned out for the better, didn't it?" she asked hesitantly as she held a cabbage in one hand and a pack of mushrooms in the other. "You and otou-san and okaa-san had your happy ending, right?"

Hope suddenly returned to him. He wasn't that rejected. He walked up to her, took the food stuffs out of her hands, placed it on the counter, and held both hands in his. "Not quite yet."

"Why?" she looked worried.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her while looking at their joined hands as he stroked his thumbs against the back of her hands. "We all understand it for now. In fact, this was the closest we've ever gotten to that happy ending you're talking about." Then he promised, "I'll tell you everything once you feel like you want to know everything. For now, I'll tell you this much: I'm working hard here to become a really good actor. The happy ending between me and my parents won't happen until I go back to them using my own power. And only then, can I start to make all of my dreams come true." Hopefully then, she'd be by his side.

She looked up at him in surprise. "Eh?"

* * *

_11:20 PM_

It's been a few minutes since Ren disappeared into the bathroom. Because he said that he liked the soup and the dish she made previously, Kyoko decided to make those. The soup was already in the pot, the rice was in the cooker, and the meat was in the oven being grilled. While waiting for the timer to go off, Kyoko was staring into space.

Being called a favorite was creepy. Because it meant that there were too many high expectations for her. Always the one who wanted to please others, Kyoko has been working hard, but she didn't think she had that ability. She'd only been acting for a year. It was no wonder she had a hard time catching up to Ren and making him recognize her. His parents were Hollywood royalty - the actor she looked up to as her sensei and the woman she adored like she had always wanted to adore her own mother.

But she never anticipated the last thing that worried her. She suddenly had the urge to barge into the bathroom to tell Ren that she wanted to hear this "everything" he wanted to press on her since their conversation just now.

She always believed that Ren would always be there to be her senpai and as an actor in Japan. Naturally, his talent could get him anywhere he wanted. It would be stupid if he just stayed here and limited his work to home if the opportunity came for him. Well, she knew that it wasn't going to happen tomorrow or any time within the foreseeable future because she never heard anything about that. Kyoko just never figured that this wasn't his home also; instead, everything was literally an ocean away and halfway around the world. Why did he have to go away to make his dreams come true?

Okaa-san made her promise that when he came back to them, she'd be with him. How on earth was she going to do that?

* * *

_11:30 PM_

"Are you OK, Sho?" Shoko-san asked as she pulled over to the entrance of their apartment building.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Sho sighed before he opened the door.

"OK," Shoko-san answered. "Go on ahead. I'll just park the car."

The ironic thing about going around town to every 'Daruma' restaurant in Tokyo to look for Kyoko was that he and Shoko forgot to eat dinner. They just got back from the usual place where they ate like hungry wolves. He stepped out of the car and walked into the building where the receptionist greeted him. He absently nodded to him and walked over to the elevators.

Even though he was physically exhausted, his brain was still working, trying to think of a way to get through the Daruma-ya and that knife-wielding scary man to get to Kyoko. He could always use Shoko or one of his friends, but somehow, he wanted to make the effort of winning his woman by himself. Kyoko was one of the hardest people to please because she based everything on effort. He didn't want to lose because of lack of points.

He stepped out of the elevator on his floor and dug into his pocket for the key when he noticed something left just outside his door.

Strange, he thought. It must be for Shoko-san. It was a very private apartment building. All of the residents were very private, and he'd never met any of them. It was just as well because it would be a big scandal that he was living with a woman and his manager to boot. Anyway, if it was from anyone else who wasn't in the same building, they would have left it with the receptionist. Otherwise, they would have to know someone from the building to get access.

He walked over and found that it was a cute little paper bag that he was used to seeing whenever he received presents from fans. Since the tag said 'Sho', his curiosity became piqued. He wondered if he had a secret admirer in the building.

Sho picked up the paper bag, opened it, and was surprised at the content. His face turned red with a little embarrassment. Afraid someone would be watching him, he opened the door and closed it behind him before taking out a cup of Kurigo Pucchin Purin.

Damn it! he started shaking in anger. Who the hell did Kyoko tell? No one else knew that he liked Kurigo Pucchin Purin except for her. The last time he had one was more than a year ago on the night before Kyoko left.

Kyoko?

He looked into the paperbag and saw a piece of paper stuck inside. He took it out and unfolded it. A cardkey fell into his hand. The message said, "Tomorrow. 10PM. New Canary Hotel. Room 1702." Nothing else.

It didn't sound like Kyoko. Then again, she changed so much in the past year that he was constantly surprised by her. He re-read the message over and over, looking for any indication that this was something from his childhood friend.

Then, he started smiling. There was no one else in the world who could possibly know. It had to be her! And considering the way that she'd been acting recently - going to hotels with loser guys - it made sense. He frowned at the thought. Did she think that she can do this to him and expect to get away with it? Once they were alone, he was never going to let go of her. Never!

"Sho," Shoko-san called as the door opened.

Sho jumped and made a beeline for the bathroom. He wanted to be alone. Alone with his pudding. His pudding from Kyoko. His pudding of love~!

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- It seems that I am becoming a little forthcoming with my cliffhangers. Well, can't do anything about that. Kyoko and Sho haven't crossed paths. It's nearing White Day anyway. Anyway, I'm on a Sho phase. This fanfic is currently Sho-friendly territory.

- And Ren finally told her about Kuon. Well, not really because she still didn't know everything. No corn yet. No chicken either. I know I could have written about Ren telling Kyoko everything with Rick and the past and everything, but it's hard. D: And it's a plotline that so many other people have used. Also, I didn't feel like it was suited to the current status of Ren and Kyoko's relationship in this chapter with Kyoko still thinking she didn't belong in Ren's world and Ren being nowhere near to confessing to her... Ugh.

- Next chapter: Sho-chan~! ...also how Cain and Setsu will spend their last night together. Sounds promising, but it really isn't.


	16. Chapter 16

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Acknowledgments: **Jhiz for beta-reading. Runadaemon for beta-reading and making a scene more smexy.

**Dedications: **Kaze and Kiba, because Sho/Kyo is awesome.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 2 Days Before White Day (March 12)**

_4:30 AM_

Kyoko opened her eyes from a restless sleep.

Her alarm hadn't gone off yet so she was sure that it was earlier than six in the morning. It was still dark out because only artificial lighting from the street lights filtered through the folds of the curtains. In the dark, she reached out and felt for her phone. She opened it and saw that it was only four-thirty. They didn't need to be anywhere until ten so she hadn't really planned to get up until around six or seven.

Last day, she thought wistfully as she placed the phone back on the night stand. It sounded so final and ominous. She made it sound like Cain and Setsuka Heel were going to die...

A depressed cloud hovered over her because it was exactly how she thought of it. By tomorrow, Cain and Setsuka Heel will cease to exist. Well, at least Cain Heel has a piece of celluloid that will validate his existence, but there was nothing for Setsuka Heel.

She let out a soft sigh.

In the short time that she had the role, she knew it was a role that will be a favorite for a long, long time. It seemed nothing could ever top it.

She'd never laughed, cried, fussed, worried or become so angry so much in her life. She suffered a lot of personal blows, but she had the role and Cain-nii-san to fall back on for support. Also, for the shortest time, she thought with a warm feeling spreading through her, she had a family. She had a scary but protective father, a mother she adored and the - bonus! - big brother who she can't stop thinking about kissing.

Kyoko stopped. What the hell?

That wasn't normal... she scolded herself. Even for someone like her who had never experienced a family, she knew that it just wasn't right. No sane person would ever think that about their brother! Sure, Cain and Setsu's relationship was completely abnormal - even incestuous, but it wasn't like they ever explored that aspect of the relationship. Thank God! Not only did she not know what to do, she would probably have ran out the door crying.

And all she'd ever get was an NG.

So why the hell was she thinking about that? Bad Setsu! she mentally scolded herself.

Come to think of it, when Ren was telling her about being Kuon Hizuri and his parents, she almost exclaimed that it was like he was truly her brother. Just like Cain and Setsu. But she stopped herself because she really didn't see him as a brother. He was her senpai - still was, but he had pointed out that the two of them have been living together and exposed to each other much more than what was proper between a senpai and kouhai. After this, she didn't know how to relate to him. Show business was a vertically-structured society, and hierarchy was very important.

Maybe she should ask him?

Later, she decided. There was no point in waking him up at 4:30 in the morning just for that. He still had a shoot later so he needed the rest. She settled under the covers and tried to get some sleep.

After several minutes, sleep still hadn't come to her, and she'd begun rolling about.

The truth was, she was worried about the promise she'd made to okaa-san. That she would come back with Kuon/Ren. The implication was that okaa-san wanted Kyoko to come back with him. She had to be the one to go meet okaa-san. She wanted to see her again... because she was the mother she'd always wanted. But she could only do that if she could get Ren to recognize her as an actress with whom he was equal. Like she thought before going to bed though, it wasn't like it was going to happen tomorrow. It'd still be only a matter of time. She had to work harder.

Now that_ that _unsettling thought was in her head, she clearly couldn't sleep anymore.

She sighed and decided to get up. She could always take a quick nap later if she felt like sleeping. Kyoko turned off the alarm on her phone and swung her legs to the side of the bed. She reached for the lamp on the nightstand and turned it to dim.

"Uhm... wha-?" Ren raised his head slightly from the pillow.

The sudden movement startled her. He normally didn't react when she got up earlier than him. "Geez, nii-san," she sighed. "You startled me."

"Why? Are you planning to sneak out of the room?"

"No," she frowned. What a weird question to ask. "The earlier you start your day, the more you get done!" she said cheerfully as she moved toward his bed. Then with a more gentle tone, "But you should go back to sleep. You still have a long day ahead of you." She noticed that his bed looked messy. Like he'd been rolling around in it because he couldn't sleep either.

He reached for his phone and looked at the time. "It's 4:30 in the morning," he said, putting the phone back down on the nightstand. "We're not due anywhere until ten."

"Yeah, but I can't sleep."

Then he pulled her to the bed and she found herself engulfed in his arms and the blanket. Kyoko knew that position was a mess. Before she could say anything in protest, he tucked his chin on top of her head.

"Last day today, huh?" he asked quietly.

Kyoko also became quiet. "Yeah..." she answered.

"You're still meeting the boss later?"

"Yup," she answered. Then she paused. Was he asking her as Cain or Ren? Ren had always been very consistent with staying in character unless it was to ask her Kyoko/Ren specific questions. He could even wake up as Cain sometimes! But he called the boss 'boss', not the President as Tsuruga Ren does. How should she answer? The question meant about her meeting with the President and Sawara-san about some offers that needed immediate answers. There was no reason Setsu would meet the President. So she answered safely, "I actually don't know why he wants to though."

"Well, it's your movie debut," he answered. "He always wants to get involved with everyone who makes their debut."

"Even with you?"

"Oh, yes." Kyoko felt Ren's chest rumble with suppressed laughter. "Just hope that he doesn't think up some weird title for you."

"Did he try to give you weird titles when you debuted?" she asked, pulling back a little to look at him curiously.

"Yes, thankfully they never stuck."

"Like what?" She never heard of strange nicknames about Ren. Well, she wasn't really interested in Ren because she was all about Sho at the time. After she joined show business she heard titles like 'One-Take King' and 'co-star killer' and 'never late king' associated with him, but those were based on his reputation. And considering the Boss' hobby of giving weird nicknames, she doubted those came from him.

"No, I won't tell you," Ren answered childishly.

"C'mon, please..." she pressed. "I wanna know!"

"Setsuka, it's still early," he said as he lifted the thick blanket and placed it on top of her properly, pulled her head over his arm and his other forearm rested on her waist. "Go back to sleep."

Then he closed his eyes without answering her question. "Come on!" She looked up at him and poked on his shoulder as she emphasized every word. "I'm a member of the Love Me Section! Love. Me. That's got to be the lamest title a person could have stuck on their name and image. I walk around in a bright pink coverall with a gigantic logo on my back. How bad could yours be?"

He didn't answer and continued to close his eyes.

"I even asked them to make my stage name Princess Cindy or Princess Rose!"

A snort came out of his nose, but he never opened his eyes or said anything.

"Nii-saaaaan..." she whined. This was annoying, Kyoko thought. How could he promise to tell her everything about him if she wanted when he couldn't even tell her this? This guy couldn't be trusted! Stupid older brother and his difficult ways, Setsuka fumed. She would have to resort to means she used to manipulate the stupid tub of stubborn that is her brother. "I'll give you a kiss if you tell me..."

In the dim light, she saw his eyebrows lift for a second. Then he opened one eye and asked, "Why do I want to do that?"

Kyoko immediately felt mortified. Why the hell did she offer him THAT? she asked herself in embarrassment. Of course, why would he want to get a kiss from her? What the hell? Why did she use Setsu tactics on Tsuruga Ren? Cain was the one who was milk toast to Setsu, not Ren. She was never going to live this down...

Then out of nowhere, he leaned forward and pressed his mouth on hers. Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise and every instinct was telling her to push him away. But his mouth moved gently over hers without putting pressure on the kiss so Kyoko eventually let her body relax, closed her eyes and let him kiss her.

But he didn't seemed to be satisfied with just that. Once she was relaxed in his arms, he added a little more pressure into the kiss, nipping at her lower lip with his teeth. Kyoko felt like he was trying to coax her into something, but she wasn't sure what. After hesitating for an uncomfortable minute, she realized that as actors, they do things in order to get a reaction from the person they were acting opposite and that a non-response was devastating. Anything was better than that, regardless of whether it was a positive or negative response.

She couldn't get herself to push him away. So, unsure of what to do - because in fairy tales, the prince always kissed the princess and never the other way around, she tilted her head forward and pressed her lips onto his.

Ren made a little sound and the hand that was resting on the small of her back pulled her closer. The motion made Kyoko bunch the collar of his shirt in her hand and she felt his breath coming from his nose. It was ragged and felt hot, nearly enough to make her sweat.

Then the tip of his tongue touched her lips, triggering an unpleasant memory of the kiss Shotaro once gave her not long ago, and she stiffened. She couldn't help remembering when Sho started pushing his tongue into her so obtrusively, and the only thing she could do was use her own tongue to fight against Sho's. She let go of his shirt and placed her hand on his shoulder, getting ready to push him away.

But he retreated, and she relaxed her hand and arm. Instead, he went back to kissing her chastely. Kyoko felt herself relax again until she felt his tongue brush her lips once more. Again, she tensed, readying herself to push him away, but he retreated. It continued over and over again, building the kiss to a much higher intensity, until finally Kyoko began to anticipate the soft brushes, even growing somewhat excited by it, if she dared to think about it. Eventually she didn't press against his shoulder anymore because she knew it wasn't a threat. Instead, her hand closed on his shirt again and clutched it tightly when his tongue sent her heart into overdrive

She sighed in contentment and Ren slipped his tongue deep into her mouth. She gasped in surprise, but - like before - found the invasion gentle. Her gasp gave him complete access to her mouth and he took advantage of the opening. Ren's exploration was tender, almost caressing, so she ceased to worry about it anymore. She finally let herself be lost to his kiss and started reciprocating his lip movements as he subtly began exploring her mouth. It was actually a million times better than how Shotaro kissed her on Vain Day. Her breath began to hitch slightly at the unusual excitement sparking along her spine. Gingerly, she let herself touch her tongue to his, and the smoky taste of his tongue only served to intrigue her. She found herself rubbing her tongue along his, questing for the true taste of _Ren_ buried beneath the tobacco.

All the abandon she'd felt flowing into her came to a screeching halt when she felt the hand on her back creep to her thigh and the short satin nightgown she was wearing slide further toward her hip. Reflexively, she slapped his hand. Ren let out a small chuckle into her mouth and entwined his fingers with hers, but never broke the kiss.

Kyoko's mind went on alert, just in case he tried to do something like that again.

Thankfully he seemed to sense that and they just continued kissing until she found herself getting lost in the kiss again. But the motion had reminded Kyoko that she could be in danger from the The Emperor Of The Night. It was the type of thing the Emperor would do. Nervously, she opened her eyes to find that his weren't even open. So what was going on in his head, or more importantly, _who_ was in his head was a mystery. So for the last time, she closed her eyes and ceased her worrying. The last thought she had before the two of them drifted off to sleep with chaste, soft licking between attached lips that still counted as kissing, was that he never said what titles the President wanted to give him when he debuted.

* * *

_6:00 AM_

Aki Shoko started her day with a croissant, a cup of coffee and a smoke. It was going to be a rare short day for Sho, but busy nonetheless.

Her mind drifted to what was going on with Sho. Last night he locked himself up in the bathroom for a good hour before emerging with a huge grin on his face, which was actually much more scary than his demon self. After that, he disappeared into his bedroom where she sensed that he stayed up for another hour at least. He was going to be screaming bloody murder when she woke him up later.

It's been part of their routine, and one of the things that made him so cute.

So she almost dropped her cup when he emerged from his bedroom, dressed and ready. "'Morning, Shoko-san."

"Sh-Sho!" She blinked at him in disbelief.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked energetically.

"I-is something the matter?" Shoko asked earnestly. "Do you have a fever?"

"No," he let out a snort. "Why would you think that?"

"It's six in the morning," she stated the obvious. "You don't have work until nine."

"The earlier you start the day, the more you get done," he replied smugly. Then he went to the extent of going to the kitchen and rummaging through the fridge for food - something he always said to be a chick chore.

"No," Shoko looked at him in concern. "Seriously, is there something wrong with you?"

* * *

Something woke Ren up.

As the cobwebs in his head cleared, the first thing he realized was his nose was buried in Kyoko's hair as she slept peacefully with her back against his chest in a cozy spoon position. His head still half-asleep, the noise barely registered in his head, but it triggered a memory.

"Kyoko," he nudged her awake with a grin on his face. "Your stomach's grumbling again."

She made a little sound and mumbled, "That's not my stomach," as she reached for the nightstand without moving away from the comfortable position they had. She put her phone to her ear and sleepily said, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Setsuka-sama," a barely audible but still understandable voice came through the phone's earpiece.

Ren smiled as he moved his head closer and pressed his lips against the bare skin on her shoulder that wasn't covered by the strappy camisole nightgown she was wearing as a stealthy way to steal a kiss. Her phone's earpiece was too loud. Ren could tell it was the driver. She should really lower the volume on that thing, he thought with amusement.

"I would just like to inform you that I've arrived at the hotel and am waiting for you and Heel-sama at the basement. Please come down once you're ready." He was always early, Ren thought.

"Huh?" Kyoko curtly exclaimed. She reached for the nightstand again and took his phone to check the time.

Ren's serenity and peace of mind was suddenly shattered when she let out a blood-curdling scream. His brain jumped to alert and he was jolted fully awake.

Kyoko threw the covers off her and jumped off the bed. Ren suddenly became worried that she was reacting violently to waking in his bed after what they did. Well, it wasn't like they did much, but... "Ye-yes! We'll be down in about half an hour!"

Curiously, Ren sat up and reached for his phone to look at the time.

_7:50 AM_

That sent Ren jumping out of the bed and to the closet to get his things. "The alarm didn't go off!"

"It didn't," Kyoko answered urgently and apologetically. "I turned it off when I woke up earlier. I'm sorry, Ren."

"Yes, yes," he brushed her apology aside and pushed her into the bathroom. "Now's the time to get ready and not apologize profusely."

Their usual 15- to 20-minute showers were been reduced to quick 5-minute ones. They both took long showers the night before so it should be fine. Ren knew that they were going to be OK as long as they left within the next 30 minutes and as long as traffic wasn't bad. Quickly enough, they were standing side by side in front of the bathroom mirror getting ready as Cain and Setsuka.

While they got ready, they ran through the day's schedule: Movie shoot from ten til five, then meet Jelly Woods at the trailer outside the movie set, Kyoko's meeting with Sawara-san and the President at seven-thirty til nine, and the two of them will be back at the hotel by ten. After the schedule, she ran through her mental checklist of things they needed to bring while Ren confirmed that he'd packed them.

Kyoko set her mascara down and stepped to the side as Ren spat out the contents of his mouth while he simultaneously rinsed out his toothbrush. He stepped back after he was finished gargling and let her finish her make-up. Ren reached for some of his hair products and started fixing his hair. Kyoko pulled her hair back with a headband and placed the wig over her head. Then she started moving out when a wayward clump of hair caught his eye.

"Setsu, wait," Ren called to her. Kyoko turned back to him and he tucked it under the wig. "Just because we're running late doesn't mean that we should be careless."

"Then you should think about that too." She let out a laugh as she reached for the styling product, placed a bit on her hands and smoothed one of his cowlicks. "This one is a little out of place," she cheerfully said.

As she fixed his hair, Ren wistfully thought of how he could grow used to this. Now that he had the experience, he wanted to have more of it. Of course, that was impossible considering that this was their last day. He wished they'd done this a long time ago - not that it would have been possible with Kyoko's maidenly sensibilities, especially with what happened earlier. It'd take a time crunch like this to make her oblivious to it.

Or maybe, he hoped, she was finally starting to feel comfortable around him? Then again, this _could_ only confirm what he'd learned the first day: she really didn't see him as a man...

"There!" she stepped back and let out an irresistible smile as she nodded at her handiwork. "I'll just pack up some breakfast. Let's head out in five minutes, okay? We'll make it on time if traffic isn't that bad."

No, it couldn't be... Ren thought as she walked out of the bathroom. Definitely the last one. How could he be the only one affected? Well, it's not like Ren wasn't aware of just how dense Kyoko was when it came to romantic overtures. The President started the Love Me Section just for her so it really was that bad. But what else could he do? He already kissed her. He could always tell her how he felt about her, but that would probably get sucked into a blackhole.

"Nii-san!" she called from the kitchen.

Ren's mind went back to the present. With one last survey of his appearance, he stepped out and found her pouring coffee into travel tumblers. "Ah!" she exclaimed when he stepped out. "Would you please grab that paper bag?"

"What's in it?" He asked as he picked it up after putting his duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Breakfast," she answered as she placed some milk and sugar in her coffee. "Just a couple of sandwiches and some fruit slices. It was the quickest thing I could throw together while you were in the shower." Then she looked up at him apologetically. "I'm sorry for making us late."

"Don't worry about it," he answered. They were meant to be in the situation together. It wasn't just her who had to make adjustments for him.

"Yeah," she pouted as she handed him his tumbler of coffee, "but I was planning to have a nice breakfast feast for the two of us since it's the last day."

"Well," he shrugged. "I wasn't the one who overslept."

"It's not my fault!" she defensively exclaimed. "I meant to get up at 4:30, but you pulled me back to bed and lulled me back to sleep. How could I not sleep again when I was warm and comfy in bed with you?"

* * *

_5:40 PM_

"And cut!" the director called. "OK!" Then he grinned and announced, "That's a wrap then for Mr. Cain Heel!"

Applause around the studio erupted for Cain-nii-san and Setsu beamed with pride. She didn't really have any contribution to his character other than to make sure that he ate and pick up after him, but she was happy that he was able to accomplish his goal and she was able to support him through it.

"I'm done, Setsu," Cain-nii-san grinned as he went up to her. She was seated on a chair with his name on it.

"Congratulations," she smiled at him as she handed him a bottle of water.

"Thank you for coming along with me all this time."

"What are you talking about?" she smugly answered. "Where you go, I go. If I let you come here to Japan alone, you would have smoked and drank the two weeks away and I would have been dead bored at home."

"Well," he said as he looked around. "I'll just change out of my costume and get my things. Then we can go?"

"OK," Setsu nodded. She had a meeting with the boss at seven-thirty, but they'll make it there by seven. The muse said she had a fashion show to attend after she fixes them up at LME, so they will have to drive back to the hotel and change back on their own in the spare trailer that was waiting for them.

"Ah, Heel-san!" the director called out to him as he turned.

Setsu and Cain turned to him as he approached. "Thank you for coming, Heel-san," the director happily said. "I'm so happy with your performance."

Nii-san nodded curtly and Setsu hit him with his copy of the script to answer the director more politely. "Thank you for letting me act in the movie," nii-san answered in a curt one. "It has been a pleasure."

"Will you and your sister be flying home soon?"

"Tomorrow," he nodded. "We'll be leaving in the afternoon."

Setsu lowered her eyes to hide her sadness. They really were leaving.

"You will be attending the premiere, won't you?" the director asked.

"I think that will depend on what you and LME discuss, director."

"Of course, of course," the director nodded. "I forgot. I suppose I have to speak with President Takarada then. I do hope that you can come." He looked over at her. "Of course, Miss Setsuka is also welcome to come along." Then he turned to him. "Anyway..."

"Mm?"

"The producers were looking at some of the pre-edited work and they loved it," the director said. "So much in fact, that they're thinking about entering it in an international film festival."

Cain-nii-san's eyes widened with interest. "An international film festival."

"Yes!" the director said. "Well, it all depends on the final product, but from the looks of it, it will definitely be great." Then he stepped closer and said in a sly manner. "This would be a great chance for you. It will definitely be great exposure to wider and more productive opportunities."

The statement from the director surprised Setsu so much that she knocked the bottle of tea she was drinking, sloshing it all over her pants. "Oh!" she exclaimed.

The director and nii-san turned to her in attention and the director straightened up. "Well," he held out his hand to nii-san and smiled, "It has been a pleasure. Thank you again."

"Thank you, sir," Cain-nii-san shook his hand. When the director left, he turned to her. "Are you OK, Setsu?"

"Um!" she said as she pulled out several tissues from her purse. "I think so. It's not hot tea, thank god. Anyway," she distractedly continued, "at least my pants are black so no one will notice."

"OK," he nodded. "I'll change out so we can leave."

"Alright," she smiled. When he left, she started cleaning up. She stood up and went to the bathroom to clean up the sticky mess.

As she did, she started realizing just how short-sighted she was. All she has been worried about was the end of her time in the role of Setsuka Heel. Ren has obviously been working to reach a much greater goal. He said it last night; he was planning to go back home to his parents. The movie in an international film festival was going to be a great chance for that. She already knew that it was going to happen sooner or later. She was just disappointed that she was still where she was. She had such a long way to go and when things start picking up for him, she may never have the opportunity to act alongside him again.

"Sorry, okaa-san," she whispered. She may not be able to come home with nii-san like she promised.

* * *

_8:00 PM_

"You didn't finish your dinner," Yashiro-san scolded as he stood up from his chair in L.A. Hearts. "Eat some more or Kyoko-chan will murder me!"

"If I eat now and have a second dinner later, I'll have indigestion," Ren answered as they were bowed up by the servers.

He chuckled as they made their way to the Acting Section to meet up with Matsushima-san. Kyoko was currently at her meeting with the President and Sawara-san about her movie debut among other things. Ren was waiting for her and found Yashiro-san wandering around. His manager had explained that he was there to submit some paperwork of their hours to payroll.

"I'm sure you'll think of a way to make the most out of tonight," Yashiro-san teasingly said. "I'm actually going up to my parents' to stay over. The next few months are going to be very busy with several dramas and movies so I might not be able to see them."

"Well," Ren went along with the conversation. "At least you'll get to see the new kitten."

Yashiro-san stopped and face him. "You're avoiding the topic and you know it..." he frowned up at him.

Ren looked at him cluelessly.

"Ren," he said in a low whisper. "I know you. You get sad whenever you end a role so I'm sure you'll plan to do something really nice tonight."

"You're thinking about this too much," he said. Yes, he was sad about today being the last day he will get to play out Cain, which was why he was simply looking forward to a quiet evening with her.

"Really?" Yashiro-san raised an eyebrow at him. "Ren, you ended your job as Cain Heel this afternoon. Not tomorrow. There's actually no reason why you should even go back to the hotel now. The original plan was for you to be checked out by LME while you worked this afternoon and have Cain fly back to his home country on an evening flight. So if you think I'm over thinking things, what do you think is going on in the President's head when he changed your schedule? You don't really think it's just to accommodate Kyoko-chan's schedule, do you?"

Ren just stared at him cluelessly. "Oh!" Only then did he realize what Yashiro-san was implying.

"Eeeeh? Eh? Eh?" Yashiro-san whined. "What are you? Twelve? You hadn't even thought about it? What's wrong with you? Even a high school kid would have thought things through more than you have!"

Oh damn... Ren ignored his manager. He hadn't really thought about that.

* * *

_8:30 PM_

The conference call with the movie production company that would produce her debut movie with Koga Hiromune went well. Sawara-san did most of the talking for her and the President. Kyoko only asked questions about things she didn't understand and the President injected some afterthoughts depending on the conversation flow. Afterward, the three of them talked over some of her more recent offers. She accepted two guest roles and would have to discuss the main role offers for next season in more detail at a later date.

Then the President started talking about another movie. He said that the lead actor was also enthusiastic to have her act with him, but he never said who. The director also seemed interested. For some reason, the President seemed to be pushing the movie onto her. It was also a lead role but...

"What do you think, Mogami-kun?" he asked with a smile.

Why the hell would she pick a role of a mentally-disturbed girl with homicidal tendencies? she thought later as she stood in the hallway and frowned at the script. Well, that wasn't what she told President Takarada - she said that she'll think about it. But from the projected date of release, it was going to premiere earlier than her movie with Koga-san.

They have got to be kidding! Kyoko angrily thought as she walked towards the Love Me Section office where she was going to leave the scripts and paperwork so she can work on them tomorrow.

There has to be a limit to this typecasting!

Mentally-disturbed girl?

Homicidal tendencies?

She knew that she shouldn't be choosy with roles, but she was already offered a lead role in a romance that's guaranteed to be a hit! If she had choices, it's obvious what she would pick! It wasn't like a psycho girl would expand her range. Well, it _would _but to a minimum. She was already known around the industry for those kinds of roles! All she was being given was the same type of role, which Kuu-oton once told her were harder and a much better way for an actor to showcase his talent. But even she knew that she needed variety in her roles! She'll never be able to become a star if she's limited to one type of character!

That lead actor who requested her for it should just die! she thought, annoyed with the nameless ass of an actor who said that she was perfect for the role and got the director into it. She made a mental note to make a voodoo doll once she found out who he was.

The President said that she can work on both movies if her schedule will allow it, but why would she want to work on it? She was so worked up that she forcefully pulled the door of the Love Me Section office, earning a sharp look from the occupant inside.

Flowers came into bloom and Kyoko's entire world turned a little brighter. "Moko-san!" she happily cried out. "You're here! Don't you have an early morning shoot tomorrow morning?"

Moko-san stared at her and started to bare her teeth. "You..."

"Eh?"

Moko-san stood up, slammed the door shut and backed Kyoko in a corner. "I thought you were working hard to be a good actress," she spat out. "Why am I hearing rumors that the only thing you've been doing is accumulating boys! There's no way you can win like that!" she continued to scold. "Getting more work and acting is what will! Mo! How am I going to consider you a rival? I'm not going to compete with you for something stupid like getting boys. It's degrading and it's pathetic to someone who lives in the modern age like us. If there's going to be a petty competition between us, at least let it be about who can get more fans. Mo!"

It was so strange... she felt happy that Moko-san was telling her off. It was like she wanted the two of them to stay on the same ground. "Tha-That's not it, Moko-san," she answered sheepishly. "Look!" She raised the scripts and offers she just received. "I have been working and getting more work."

Moko-san stopped short and looked at it. "This movie..." she pulled the script of the homicidal girl movie. "You auditioned for it too?"

Audition? Kyoko looked at her in wonder. There was no way on earth she would audition for a role like that. Well, she might, but it's not going to be a priority. "I'm still thinking about taking that movie. Why? Did you audition for that too?"

"Yeah," Kanae flipped through the script. "Matsushima-san said I should attend the open casting call for various roles a week ago and I was offered a role in it. Not lead role, but I'll get to act in it more."

Kyoko's face lit up. Moko-san was going to be in the movie? That meant that they will get to work together again! They will get to hang out together constantly for the duration of shoot?

Her eyes started twinkling at the wonderful incentive that movie had. Maybe she would just have to accept after all.

* * *

_9:40 PM_

"Why are you insisting that we go out?" Kyoko complained as they rode back to the hotel. "It's our last night together and I've been meaning to cook up something really nice! I already made a mess of breakfast so I want to make up for it!"

"It's already late," Ren reasoned. "We won't have time to create a big feast and eat it at this time of night."

In a half-thought of plan to make his last evening with Kyoko as Cain, Ren was being insistent that they do something special for the evening. He gave a long list of suggestions from going out to a club to the nice restaurant the hotel had to... whatever. Anything that wouldn't require her to do manual labor.

In actuality, he really preferred just staying in the room with her. He has fun either way. But whenever they were in the room, she felt obligated to do something domestic. Because Setsu does everything for the sake of her brother. The smallest speck of dust has to be chased off as if it annoyed Cain.

"I'll cook your favorite," she pouted, crossed her arms and looked out the window. "I'll make you wine jelly... and the soup and the dish you like again." Under the passing street lights, Ren could tell that she wasn't happy. "Meals together are magic spells," she muttered, her chin crinkled to show off her annoyance. It was actually the ugliest show of upset Ren had ever seen on her face. "It makes things that are already delicious even more delicious. If we go to a club, you get so much attention from girls that we won't get to eat. And if we go to the hotel restaurant, we'll just get too much attention. It'll annoy us so much that the meal wouldn't be enjoyable."

Kyoko wasn't looking at him, but he knew that she was annoyed because of his insistence that he preferred to go out. Even if she was talking about magic again, Ren was not lost in translation. He understood what she was talking about. He moved closer to her and said, "I like magic spells."

* * *

_9:45 PM_

Sho stepped out of the car.

It wasn't easy to talk his way out of going with Shoko-san, who was half-convinced that aliens had taken over his body for some reason. He said that he was going out partying, which is an excuse he always gave whenever he was going on a date with someone. Whenever he went out on his own, he took advantage of the cars that Akatoki Agency provided for their stars under eighteen.

He was at the basement of the hotel where the car intended to park for the rest of the night. He thought about asking the driver to go home since he intended to stay. But he thought Kyoko might want to go out later so he told him to stay.

Confidently, he stepped into the entrance and got in the elevator. He looked at the card key again and read 1702. Once on the floor, he had to stop himself from being too enthusiastic about going. That wasn't the Sho that she knew and anything less would probably gross her out.

He slipped the card key in and entered the room. It was a nice one bed room with a kitchen at the far corner - nothing special about it, but it was typical of Kyoko. Something was cooking in the small kitchen and he heard movement from the bathroom. His excitement got the better of him and he called out, "Honey, I'm home."

The bathroom door opened and stupid, freaking Pocchiri stepped out, let out a smile and greeted him back, "Sho~ooo-chan, you're early!"

"Noooo!" Sho jumped back in surprise and his back hit the hotel room door. Pocchiri kidnapped Kyoko, threw her off the river and took over her spot in this room, his overactive imagination concluded. Then he raised an accusing finger and angrily cried out, "Wha-Wha-What are you doing here, stupid pocchi?"

Pocchiri giggled and answered, "You came here tonight to see me." Her cheeks was blushing with happiness.

"N-n-n-no, I wasn't!" he angrily answered. "What happened to Kyoko? What have you done to her?"

Pocchiri's smile turned into a pout, her eyes teared up and she had the expression on her face she always had whenever she was frustrated with him and she wanted to hit him for being stupid. She was holding a small bottle - probably shampoo that housekeeping leaves for patrons - and threw it at him and barely missed his face. "Stupid Sho-chan! Why would you think that it was that dumpy, mousy girl?" she whined as she started towards him. Before she could come within arm's reach, Sho opened the door, dove out of the room and fled into the hallway.

"Sho-chan!" she called through the door.

Sho made a run for it when he saw the door crack open. He went to the elevators, but it didn't open on the push of the button. Sho looked around for possible ways out and spotted the staircase.

"Sho-chan! Where did you go?" Pocchiri called out and Sho could tell that she was getting closer and closer.

Sensing the danger, Sho made a run for the staircase and down to the 16th floor where he was safely out of Pocchiri's reach. He panted as he settled on the landing and the door closed with a bang.

"Sho-chan!" the dangerous woman opened the 17th floor staircase door, causing Sho to jump again. The call echoed through the stairwell. Sho quietly opened the door to enter the 16th floor. As quietly as he could, he closed the door behind him.

Once he was in a safety zone, he leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, trying to smooth the knot that formed on his forehead.

Damn it, Damn it, Damn it, he swore over and over in his head. What the hell was Pocchiri doing here? Why wasn't the girl behind that hotel room door Kyoko? He already dumped Pocchiri and made it clear to Kyoko that she was the one he wanted. And how the hell did Pocchiri know about his love pudding?

He had to get out of here, he decided, standing up. Pocchiri was like a bloodhound. Even in Akatoki, she always seemed to be able to find him. He really didn't care to dump her again. He went to the elevator banks and pressed down. It took him down to the basement parking where the car waited for him. He spotted it on the far end of the first row and started making his way there when a familiar voice caught his ear.

"How about we cook tonight, but tomorrow morning we have breakfast at the restaurant?"

He knew that cool, calming voice that had been the bane of his existence since he joined show business. It was definitely Tsuruga... he thought.

"We? Cook?" another familiar voice echoed. "The last time you tried to cook up something you gave yourself indigestion and a death god was hanging on your shoulder."

Sho's eyes widened. Kyoko... he started going to the direction of the voice, nearly unconsciously. He looked left and right to find the direction it was coming from.

"That's a gross exaggeration," Tsuruga remarked.

"It was not! Seriously, it was doing a countdown."

"Anyway, I'm not talking about being chef here," Tsuruga answered. "I was thinking you be the head chef and I'll be a sous chef."

"A sous chef?" Kyoko dubiously answered. "If it's you, kitchen helper is the more appropriate term. Or better yet, potato peele-"

Then their voices disappeared. Sho looked around in confusion. Was he imagining things? No, it couldn't be, Sho shook the thought. He was too young and too handsome to lose his mind at such a young age. He definitely heard Kyoko. And the topic of cooking just made it more probable.

He wandered around for another ten minutes in the basement parking searching. The parking lot was packed but he never heard any car pull out while he was there. He started getting angry, thinking maybe that gorgestar Tsuruga and that gullible Kyoko parked in one of the cars to do something that would really piss him off.

"Fine," Kyoko's voice came again much to Sho's surprise. She sighed. "We cook dinner together, and breakfast will be at the restaurant. But your duties are limited to peeling and washing. I don't think I want you doing anything beyond that. You may be good with guns, but I don't think you can threaten to shoot an onion and make it shed it's skin."

Tsuruga chuckled. "Fine."

Sho followed their voices and shouted, "Ah-ha!" as he jumped from behind them, feeling like the master sleuth that he was. He fixed his eyes on them and started shaking as he realized what he was seeing.

Kyoko- He wasn't even sure if it was Kyoko. Kyoko was dressed in a tiny black mini-skirt that didn't leave much to the imagination, a corset top that barely held her chest up, knee-high boots, and thick make-up. She had long blond hair... Kyoko didn't have blond hair, but hell... They were in show business, overnight transformations are possible. But this girl was far too sexy and far too provocative to be the girl he knew. And the guy... he couldn't be Tsuruga? He looked so messed up and dark, not at all the charming, neat personality fit for the stupid guy that he was.

"Friend of yours, Setsu?" Tsuruga pointed at him with his head to the blond girl.

The girl- Kyoko- Maybe or maybe not- looked at him appraisingly with a bored expression on her face. Sho looked into her eyes to see if she recognized him in any way, but they were glassy and expressionless. "No. I've never seen him before in my entire life."

"What do you mean you've never seen me before?" Sho exploded. "You've known me my entire life, you stupid woman! I knew you'd been sleeping around but what the hell is this? Some kind of S&M bondage thing this moron got you to do?"

That was it, wasn't it? he thought shakily. Kyoko would never wear something like that. Even with all the changes she'd gone through recently, she always dressed in a cute and conservative manner. Hanging out with weirdos like Tsuruga - and probably Kijima - got her into such weird, disgusting fetishes. Even he wasn't as twisted as that.

"Are you going to let this random wacko talk to me like that?" she pointed at him and looked at the guy.

"I knew show business was not for you!" Sho found himself utterly worked up. "It's just too full of weirdos and perverts and you're just a gullible little s-"

Without warning, Sho was pushed into a pillar of the parking lot. When he opened his eyes, the guy's murderous eyes met his. "Say it and you'll regret it."

Sho glared back at the guy, and he was startled at the sight. It was the same murderous eyes that he saw the other day at the waiting room in Kyoko's drama in Fuji. Sho was sure about it. "Tsuruga..." he snarled.

His attacker's grip loosened. "Tsuruga?" The guy looked at him cluelessly. "The city found in the Fukui prefecture?"

D-Damn it, Sho nervously swallowed. He didn't even blink at the mention of the name. This couldn't be Tsuruga. But if that wasn't Tsuruga, that girl definitely cannot be Kyoko. He couldn't have made a mistake. He'd know Kyoko anywhere. He was a damn musician - he had an ear for this kind of thing.

"Nii-san!" the girl whiningly called out. "Are you done yet? I'm getting hungry~!"

Without giving him another glance, the guy turned around and went up to his sister. Sho looked after them in confusion.

What the hell just happened? Was it Tsuruga or wasn't it? And the girl, it wasn't Kyoko, was it? Sho's head started spinning widely in confusion. It couldn't have been Kyoko and Tsuruga. The girl didn't recognize him and there was barely a recognition of the name Tsuruga. But that murderous look was seriously the pretty boy actor. Because if it was... if it was...

...they were doing really screwed up role playing S&M shit!

* * *

_10:10 PM_

Setsuka slammed the door behind her. Then she chained it then bolted it. She pressed her ear to the door and tried to listen for any movement from outside just in case Shotaro was able to follow them.

"Setsu?" Cain-nii-san looked at her as he dropped his duffel bag on the floor. "What are you doing?"

She jumped, feeling agitated.

What were they going to do? What was she going to do? She needed to protect Cain Heel's identity at all costs and Shotaro was getting closer. Setsu's spirit nearly flew off at the sight of Shotaro when he jumped them in the parking lot, but Cain-nii-san was quick on his feet and spoke first. He pried Setsu's soul back into her.

"W-w-we-we need to get out of here," She crossed the room and opened up the closet, pulled out their clothes, and dumped them on the bed. "We have to leave the hotel."

"And where should we go?"

"I don't know," she worriedly answered. "Another hotel? The boss' house? We can't be here! We need to g-"

Cain-nii-san walked up to her, turned her around and held her wrists. "It's OK, Setsu. Nothing's going to happen to us."

"So-something might," she answered, her voice quivered. "He... He'd come. He was pissed off enough." Her hands were shaking so hard and she didn't even realize it until Cain-nii-san tightened his grip to steady it.

"He doesn't even know where our room is," he answered in a reassuring tone.

"No!" She couldn't think straight. "I'm supposed to make sure that nothing happens to you. What if we're found out? He knows how to keep a grudge. Because you pushed him to the wall." She swallowed, looked up at him and cried out, "I'm supposed to be here to protect you! I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to the-"

"Shh... Shh..." He pulled her into his arms and hugged her. "It's not your job to protect me," he whispered as he rocked her and patted her hair. "I'm your big brother. I'm the one who's supposed to protect you."

"He said I dressed like an S&M freak," she babbled, not even realizing what he said. "Ten-san didn't leave my usual clothes in the trailer-" meaning the clothes that she wore earlier before they changed out of the Heel siblings when they went to LME "Nii-san, am I dressed like an S&M freak?"

He let out an amused breath. "Yep," he answered in a teasing tone.

"Really?" she looked up at him. "How'd you know?"

"Eh?" he stopped patting her hair. "Er..."

She made an uneasy sound. He was trying to distract her and make her laugh. She knew that nii-san would be able to protect her, but she didn't know what she could do in order to protect him. What happened was worrying her and she really didn't know what to do. When she heard voices from outside, she froze and turned her head to the door, half expecting the door to fly open with police and some kind of authority figure to get them and take them away.

Cain-nii-san looked at her and sighed. He bent down and leveled his eyes to her. "Do you really want to get out of here?"

Setsu felt so relieved at the offer and nodded her head profusely.

"Then let's go," he said as he let go of her. "You have your phone?" he walked over to the nightstand and took something from the drawer and slipped it into his pocket.

She nodded. It was in her purse. She stared at him, perplexed.

"Your wallet?" he asked. "The Princess Rosa? The Corn Stone?"

"I have it," she nodded and figured what he was asking. They were leaving. For good. They have to take every personal item they had on them that Cain and Setsu shouldn't be in possession of. She had everything in her purse.

"These?" He held up the papers that Fuwa-oba-sama gave her a few days ago.

She gasped and stuffed it into her purse. That was all. The Corn stone was safely in the secret pocket of her purse, so was the Princess Rosa. Wallet, mobile... she was in the clear. She grabbed the first coat that she could pick up from the bed.

"Let's go." He stood by the door. Kyoko was surprised that he already had his duffel bag on him.

"Yes, nii-san!" she ran up to him.

She looked back inside the room and bit her lower lip. They were leaving for good. This was the last time the two of them will be in their room at the New Canary Hotel.

* * *

_11:00 PM_

"What are we going to do now?" Kyoko asked as she started poking at the hamburger and egg with her fork.

Ren turned from his own meal to look at her.

After Fuwa spotted them in the hotel parking lot, Kyoko paced around the hotel room in a panic. She was convinced that Fuwa was probably going to be knocking on every hotel door to find them. And for the first time, he wasn't able to calm her down because she was so caught up with trying to protect him. Fuwa was as nuisance, but he wasn't stupid. Ren was sure he might do something like that considering that he looked so angry about finding them together. It was their last day as Cain and Setsu so they were on the homestretch. Having anything compromise it now would have made everything they worked for useless.

So, to save the project and to placate Kyoko, they left the hotel and started walking. Somehow they ended up in a family restaurant where they sat side-by-side while they talked what they were going to do. LME was the one who made all the arrangements to check them in, he was sure that they would check them out.

He never realized how agitated Kyoko was until she was started shivering because she brought a flimsy coat with her. She was so worried that getting out was more important than what they needed. She didn't even think about changing so he gave her his jacket to warm her up and to cover her up.

After that, the problem was where they would go.

Another hotel was out of the question because he cannot use his credit card. Most of them don't take cash and having everything billed to LME will just blow their cover.

Yashiro-san was staying overnight with his family since Ren opted to have a day-off tomorrow. It's been a while since he spent time with them because of his job so Ren didn't want to bother him unless he and Kyoko had exhausted every option they had. The President, Sawara-san and Matsushima-san were in a business dinner with some industry people and those things last until the wee hours of the morning.

They can't go to LME where his newly-detailed car has been sitting for the last few days because Cain was not an LME actor, just a guest of the President. That really wouldn't qualify him to waltz in the building. The security guards there were not part of the President's personal security and wouldn't know anything about Cain Heel.

"What about the restaurant?" Ren asked in a hushed tone. His place was safer as a hideout, but security was really tight to non-residents and they're known to call police on persistent visitors who want to enter without permission. Since it was so late, a lot of the shops are closed so they can't get anything to change into. He could enter without going through security if he had his car, but that option was not available. Kyoko's landlord knew about Cain and Setsu so that would be an option.

"There's a private party for some nearby office scheduled for tonight," she answered miserably. "They'll probably be open until three in the morning. We can't sneak in there without rousing suspicion."

"I didn't think so..." Ren muttered. Just as well, he wasn't looking forward to seeing the taisho much, considering the bad impression he made when they met the other day.

Then she looked down at her food and apologetically said, "I'm sorry, nii-san. This wouldn't have happened if he hadn't showed up."

"Setsu," he sighed. "Stop apologizing for things you didn't do."

"But I was planning such a nice dinner to celebrate the shooting wrap and our last night together here!" she exclaimed. Her shoulders slumped. "I already screwed up breakfast. Now, look at us. In a family restaurant, eating hamburger and egg on out last day here."

"I thought you like hamburger and a big egg on top," he said, trying to lighten the mood. "It's your favorite, right?"

"Well, yeah," she answered.

"Well," Cain crossed his arms. "We still have to think about how to get you home."

"And what about you?"

"I don't know," he shrugged.

"I can't leave you alone. We're supposed to be in this together, remember?" she exclaimed in outrage.

Obviously, when he suggested the restaurant, he implied that he should be staying there too. Apparently, that's not what she had in mind. "That's not important. I'll be fine on my own, but there's no way I can let you just stay out."

"What!" she straightened up in protest. "You promised me that we'd still go out tomorrow!"

"Eh?"

"You forgot," she pouted. "You said that because the shoot took up so much of your time here, you'd take me out on the 13th instead."

Ren did promise that. He kept the day open - refusing invitations from friends who wanted to hang out with him on his day-off unconsciously. He never anticipated that she actually wanted to go. Well, Setsu did. And now that he figured the President's small option to have the day off for the both of them, he seemed to be determined to make the most of it. "I did not!" he said indignantly. "But where will we go? We don't even know where we're going to stay tonight." He had unlimited funds and zero options.

"There are a lot of places to go to, even at this hour..." she said. "There's a 24-hour internet cafe-"

"We're going to sit all night?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

"The... Then an all-night karaoke..."

Ren looked at her as though it was one of the lamest things in the world. He was never very picky with things. He wasn't eliminating the places on the basis of their typical qualities. He really wouldn't have minded going to the places she mentioned since he could hardly do any of those things because he was so recognizable. It would have been nice, especially since he's been running around inconspicuous to people. Even with past girlfriends whenever they do ordinary things, they just happily comment on how down-to-earth he was compared to what they expected. It was just that they didn't seem to be good enough places to bring Kyoko to.

"We just spent thirty minutes running away from a musician," he pointed out. It didn't really sound like something that would impress her on probably the only date he'll ever have with her.

"We don't have many options!" she exclaimed. "Short of going out of town, the only real options we have at this hour is hanging out in a convenience store all night or staying in a love hote-"

She stopped suddenly and Ren's ears perked at what she said. "What did you say?" he asked her to repeat.

Her eyes were wide and she looked very embarrassed. "I really didn't mean to suggest it!" She was turning redder and redder. "I'm just saying what options we have. Please ignore what I just said about the-"

"You're right," Cain said.

She slid away from him in the booth. "I- I am?"

"That's actually a good idea," Cain said as he pulled out his phone from his pocket and connected to the mobile web.

* * *

_11:45 PM_

What the hell was she doing? Kyoko thought as she and Cain Heel walked Tokyo Station with a ticket in her hand.

Well, she thought as she stared at her ticket. Bullet train from Tokyo leaving at 11:54 PM to Kyoto arriving at 8:01 AM with one stop over at Odawara at 1:21 AM, regular class unreserved seat. She was actually thankful that Ren didn't get that she said 'love hotel' because it was really embarrassing that she actually thought that. However, he ended up spending money - lots of it - for a train ride.

And for what?

"Setsu?" Cain-nii-san called out to her and she realized that she'd been left behind. "If you don't hurry, we're going to miss the train."

"Ah!" Setsu ran after her older brother.

The platform had a lot of people for the time of night. Not crowded, just a lot. She guessed a lot of people preferred to take overnight trips. She'd never been on a bullet train before because she could never afford it. Not when the bus was accessible for her price range - which was pretty much the trip she and Shotaro had when they left Kyoto. She clung to her brother's arm as they made their way.

"Are we really going to Kyoto, nii-san?" she asked him.

There was no way that they could go, right? She knew that Cain-nii-san was the type who never planned and did things on impulse, but this was too much! she thought helplessly as they stepped onto the platform. Tomorrow, they're supposed to be checking out of the hotel.

"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?" he asked as he led her into a train car. It was leaving in a few minutes. "I mean, something that can't wait until the day after tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then it's a yes."

They were supposed to be checking out tomorrow. In character, they were supposed to be going back to their home country, but in real life, that meant that they're supposed to be going home. And have their day-offs. Apart! That Cain and Setsu date thing was just talk, wasn't it?

"Good evening, passengers..." the voice through the PA system came through. It started talking about the length of the trip and weather conditions.

"Nii-" she turned to him to continue to protest about the idea, the exorbitant amount of money he spent just on the train ticket alone, and the spontaneity of the act.

Cain-nii-san was looking out the window and sighed before turning to her. Kyoko froze.

That sigh... She hadn't heard that in a long time. It was the Tsuruga Ren NG sigh of doom! She... Kyoko struggled with her emotions. She didn't want to end their stint as the Heel siblings with an NG!

"A-aren't you uncomfortable?" Setsu asked solicitously instead. "There really isn't much leg room?" It was actually pretty roomy, but compared to him and his long legs...

"I'm fine," he answered. Then he gave her a stupid older brother look. "We couldn't get into first-class because we need reservations for that. I know anything less than first class is not good enough for you-" It was more than enough! Kyoko thought. "-but just bear with it for the trip, OK?" Then he gave her one of Cain-nii-san's rare smiles. "Don't worry about it. I told you, right? As long as I get to stay with you, it's fine."

Kyoko stared at him in wonder. She knew that she wanted to act as Setsu some more. She didn't want to let go of the role just yet. She needed closure, like a character in a drama. She didn't have a story because she didn't go with a script. She couldn't stand to have her just run away. Ren was done acting as BJ and as Cain Heel apart from sleeping and checking out of the hotel. His job was done and he had closure with his character.

Did that mean that he was having the same feelings as she did? He wanted to act in the role some more?

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- We all know what happens in Act 170 so this fic is now a PWP fanfiction. I'll finish it anyway in the way I intended because I'm kinda in the point of no return. Since it's only Chapter Fifteen and Epilogue left.

- I know the kiss scene seem a little OOC, but c'mon! I'm nearing the end of this story without giving Ren a doggie treat. Also, Setsu has been randomly kissing him through the shoot, they already had a nice warm, fuzzy kissy and Kyoko kissed Ren on the lips on her own accord in this fic. That's enough build up for a French, right? Right? There's no way he would be able to confess if he never get any motivation off it. A man can only live on rejection so much. Even if Ren is a masochist.

- I checked the Shinkansen train schedule for March 12 and 13, though I used the year 2011 not the 2002 or 2006 calendar because they're no longer available. I have no idea why the ride will last 9 hours on an overnight trip going to Kyoto while the return trip will only last about two hours on a return trip. Do not expect too much of Kyoto details. I'd much rather write about Kyoko than technical stuff about the place.

- Next chapter: ? ? ? I'm still a Sho phase.


	17. Chapter 17

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Fifteen A  
**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon and Jhiz for beta-reading, sound boarding and writing bits and pieces of the chapter.

**Dedications: **alitablake, for the sake of a running joke that won't die in my head.

I don't own Skip Beat!

_Playing The Imperial March from Star Wars over and over is highly recommended while reading this chapter._**  
**

* * *

**T Minus 1 Day Before White Day (March 13)**

_5:52 AM_

Kyoko took a deep breath as she stepped off the bullet train.

It was six in the morning, and there were two more hours before Ren arrived in Kyoto.

She sadly wondered if he was angry at her for chickening out of the trip. He probably was because the trip cost a lot of money and she refused to continue with him.

Last night, during the stopover at Odawara, she started getting a funny feeling - a twinge in her heart. A premonition that something life-changing would happen should she continue on the trip to Kyoto with Ren. She was scared and intimidated because she knew that there was nothing she could have done to protect herself if something happened in that place. She barely had any money on her, and even if it was the place she was born and raised, there wasn't really anyone or anywhere she could run to for help. She was completely at Ren's mercy.

It was a matter of self-preservation, she convinced herself when she started remembering the disappointed look on Ren's face. No amount of abandoned puppies he could summon could ever overpower her instinct to save herself. She made up an explanation that there was something that she needed to accomplish in Tokyo so she had to go back even though she said the night before that there was none. He wanted to go back with her, but she managed to convince him that he should proceed to Kyoto because if he chose the place to go to, he must be unconsciously thinking there was something he wanted to do there.

So after a four-hour wait in Odawara Station for the first train bound for Tokyo with only his coat to protect her from the cold, she made her way back to Tokyo.

She looked around in confusion. This being the first time she's ever gotten off at Tokyo Station, she really didn't know what to do.

She pulled out her phone and looked for the President's number. One of his servants answered and said that he was busy talking to someone else on the other line so she promised to call back later and hung up. Then she scrolled down her phonebook. There really wasn't anyone she could talk to at this point. Moko-san didn't know about the Heel siblings, but there really wasn't anyone else she could trust. Then she remembered that she had an early morning shoot so there was no way she would bother answering her phone. Then after scrolling down, it stopped on the name Ishibashi Hikaru-san.

No, no, no, she shook her head. She couldn't. Even if Hikaru-san was someone with whom she was very comfortable discussing work, she couldn't call him. He didn't know about the Heel siblings, and it would be a bother. After another moment's hesitation, she clamped the phone shut.

Her only option right now was to go back to the hotel, risk running into Shotaro, and change clothes before she went back to the Daruma-ya. Even if the taisho knew about the Heel siblings, he showed particular objection to her clothes when they met and right now she was wearing the most indecent outfit Ten-san set aside for her. Out of respect, she could not go directly home dressed in this manner.

She started walking towards the station that ran through the city but faltered to a stop.

She was wearing embarrassing clothes that only Setsuka Heel would wear, and she was going back to the hotel. That meant that she still has to act as Setsuka Heel, she thought. Setsu would never be caught dead riding public transportation. She sighed, stepped out to the street and hailed the first taxi that passed.

Once at the hotel, she was fully in Setsuka mode. She didn't even glance at the doorman and went straight to the door.

The trailer was gone from the basement. Then again, last night one of the President's men was in the driver's seat so he would have left after she and Ren changed into Cain and Setsu. She went back upstairs and opened the door to the room that she and Cain-nii-san shared and was surprised by the mess. It was like a tornado hit it- clothes were strewn everywhere, the nightstand drawer was left open and remnants of the breakfast she prepared yesterday morning were still on the kitchen counter. It looked like a war zone.

Kyoko walked to the closet beyond the bed to pick out a set of clothes closer to her tastes rather than Setsuka's preference. It was a cute little jumpsuit that okaa-san picked out for her during their shopping trip when she visited. It left her shoulders bare, and it covered only one-fourth of her thigh. It wasn't exactly her - more Natsu - but it was still the farthest from Setsu's dark personality. She washed up, changed clothes, and was preparing to step out of the door when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Mogami-kun," President Takarada greeted her on the other end of the line.

"President Takarada," she greeted as she sank down on the bed. "Good morning."

"Have you returned to Tokyo?" the President asked, his voice full of concern. "You're not still stranded at Odawara, are you?"

"No, sir," Kyoko shook her head. "I'm back at the hotel. I need to change before going home."

There was a pause. Kyoko strained her ear because she heard shuffling on the other line. Then the President said, "Please stay there for a while. I need to speak with you in person. Head for the basement and look for the car when I call you."

"Yes, sir," Kyoko answered obediently. While she waited, she tried to straighten out the place and nibbled on some leftover bread.

Less than half an hour later, the President called her to come down to meet him. From the grim look on his face, Kyoko started worrying that going back to the hotel was a bad move.

"I spoke with Ren before calling you," the President said as he let out a long sigh.

Ah, she thought. They were probably talking when she called. "I... I guess you're going to ask for an explanation why I left Cain Heel?" she asked worriedly.

"No," the President asked, sounding obviously disappointed. "Ren explained everything that happened. The two of you were in a very... unusual situation so it was obvious that you would have had reservations about it. I just..."

"Mm?"

"What do you think of Ren now, Mogami-kun?" the President asked.

"Eh?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side. What a strange question, she thought. "Ren-san... He..." He was kind to her as a fellow actor and human being. He made her realize that there are times when she didn't need the Corn stone to make herself feel better because he was there. She never thought anyone else would care when she cried, but he'd broken through that lie. Living with him as Cain and Setsuka made her confused because she didn't know which was the real Ren or Kuon or Cain. He acted rather than talked which wasn't really good because it confused her very much. She couldn't tell the President that. Could she? "Ren-san is a great actor and a wonderful teacher. The experience with him has really helped me with my improvisation skills and really showed me what living in a role is like."

"Is that all?"

"Well," she added shyly, realizing that what she told him was so selfishly focused on her career. "Ren and I have become really close over the last few weeks. I feel like he could be someone I could be friends for life with."

"Friends?"

"Yes." She nodded. Suddenly, she felt a flood of relief overcome her. Now she knew the proper term to describe the relationship she had with Ren. It was a far cry from senpai and kouhai, but it was still the closest the two of them have ever had.

* * *

_6:45 AM_

"Mogami-kun..." Lory sighed as the car neared her neighborhood.

"Sir?" Mogami-kun looked up at him with large, doe eyes.

It was so full of innocence. Lory made the split-second decision and said, "I don't think it's a good idea to take on the movie with Koga Hiromune."

"What?" Her eyes widened and reflected complete shock. "Why not? B-but we already met with the movie director and Koga-san-!"

"For your movie debut," Lory cut her off, "I think it's better that you do the other one."

"The psycho girl?" Kyoko nearly shouted with disbelief. "Why? President Takarada, why are you saying this all of a sudden?"

Confusion and hurt was in the young actress' eyes. Lory chest tightened. He would really have preferred that she took on the romance. As a messenger of love, nothing would suit Love Me's Number One girl more, but this is the only thing he could do to show his love for the young actress as one of his children. "You should forget about acting in the movie with Koga Hiromune. There is no way that you can perform the joys of love."

"But-" she looked at him in protest.

"You will definitely experience difficulty with your acting." Lory cut her off. He looked her in the eye and frankly stated: "It will not be something that you will be able to hide using acting techniques." He looked at the young actress and finished with, "I don't think you're the type who will be content acting with anything less than your full potential."

He initially agreed to let her act with Koga-kun because she seemed to have been developing her lost emotions in the few weeks she'd been with Cain. He would never understand what happened that made Ren go too slow and Mogami-kun run away from him. But her answers were so technical, almost as though the experience wasn't personal, so it seemed that he'd been wrong.

Mogami-kun looked devastated. She was still a great actress. Lory felt the urge to console her. This lack of progress on her maturity should not be a lack of progress in her career. After all, she had accomplished her role as Setsuka Heel. "Like I said, you can still act in the other movie. It's a very good movie with a great director, a strong script and an excellent cast."

"I... I guess," she hesitantly answered.

Lory studied her face. She was miserable about the decision. He was trying to see if there was any hint that she'd overcome her struggles of the heart, but he couldn't see it. She didn't even move to protest or contradict what he said like Ren did when he told him to withdraw from Dark Moon because he wouldn't have been able to act out a Katsuki in love. As the car stopped in front of the street that led to her home, Lory decided that she simply was not ready to perform in the Koga movie.

* * *

_7:30 AM_

This was a waste of time, Sho straightened up and walked away from the Daruma-ya.

After coming home last night, Sho laid in bed thinking about what happened in the hotel.

He went to the New Canary Hotel, expecting Kyoko but found Pocchiri. He ran away from her and found some weird S&M girl who sounded like her with some murderous guy he was positive was Tsuruga. Neither recognized him or the names Kyoko or Tsuruga so he was left pondering over it the whole night. The point was that he wouldn't have gone to the hotel if it wasn't for that infernal pudding. Pudding which was really from Pocchiri. Something she wouldn't find out unless the only other person in Tokyo that knew had told her. That person was Kyoko.

Without any sleep and in a bad mood, he went to the Daruma-ya at five-thirty in the morning to catch Kyoko in case she came in for work. But it was already past seven. People were getting up and making their way to work or opening nearby shops.

Screw this, he thought. Sho scrapped his plan for a face-to-face confrontation with Kyoko. He'll find another way to see her - probably through Miruki or going to the Box "R" set. Then he had to deal with the unpleasant task of dealing with Pocchiri. He was going to hear an earful from the president just because he'd get one from her.

He pulled out his phone to call Pocchiri first. He doesn't have anything to do until afternoon and it was just soundcheck for his concert in the evening. He had to go back before Shoko-san got up. Kyoko will have to pay for everything he went through-

He stopped in his tracks when he spotted his target as she stepped out of a heavily-tinted car. She was dressed in a cute little jumpsuit that looked too fashionable to be hers. She really had changed, Sho thought. She was prettier and sexier and he wanted her more than anything else in the world. Then she bowed as the car drove away. Well, maybe she really hadn't changed that much.

The memories of the night before pissed him off again and he greeted her with biting sarcasm. "It's unsightly for a girl to come home at dawn after spending the night in a hotel."

Kyoko turned to him in surprise then gritted her teeth. "What the hell are you talking about? I just came back from Odawara!" She pointed at him and Sho's attention went to stacked up boxes of different sizes that said 'Fish Cakes' with the address of a proprietor in Odawara on them.

Damn, Sho swallowed. She obviously just came from an out-of-town shoot. "I-is that so?" So that girl from the hotel basement really wasn't her?

"Is that all?" She asked, rubbing her forehead. "Now go away. I'm tired. I've had close to no sleep and I had a really crappy morning..."

"Oh yeah?" Sho retorted. "Because of you, I'm close to losing my mind!"

"How is that my fault?" she answered angrily.

"I didn't get a wink of sleep last night!" Sho answered illogically, but it was the only thing that came to mind. "And I have a concert tonight! Do you know how bad that is for me?"

"You're worried about just that?" she answered back. "One evening...? I'm going to be stuck with villain roles for the rest of my life!"

"Wha-" Sho exclaimed in surprise. "What do you mean by that?"

"LME won't let me have my movie debut in the Koga movie."

Her shoulders slumped, and she glowered at him.

"Happy?" she asked sarcastically. "I'm not going to be able to to get my revenge on you yet. Aren't you going to jump for joy because I had another setback?"

"No..." Sho was surprised. He didn't get it. Kyoko was an in-demand actress. Execs in Akatoki wouldn't shut up about finding someone just like her - talented, special, gifted... What the hell was her agency thinking?

"Come with me," he ordered as he stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

"Wh-what the hell are you doing?" She hit him on the head with the purse she was carrying. Sho staggered forward and would have fallen if he hadn't caught himself.

Once he regained his balance, he glared at her. "People are starting to stare," he pointed out the pedestrian crowd that was either stopping to witness the scene they were creating or glancing as they walked by. "You really want to do this in front of everyone?"

She quieted down and stopped struggling, but she didn't move from where she stood. Just then, a taxi came by and Sho hailed it. When the door opened, Sho pushed her and said, "In," before she realized what was happening.

"Wha-!" she squeaked in surprise as she landed on her butt in the taxi. "Where are you taking me?" she demanded after Sho told the driver the address.

He glanced down at her distrustful eyes and he, for the first time, realized how much he wanted to see them look at him with love again. "I'm going to make your debuting dreams come true."

* * *

_8:10 AM_

Kyoko didn't really want to go along with Shotaro and thought about jumping out of the cab if they got stuck in traffic.

Unfortunately for the actress, they didn't and the next thing she knew, she was walking hand-in-hand with him through a private hallway of Akatoki Agency similar to ones found at LME. What the hell was she doing there? she thought as they earned stares from many of the famous celebrities in Akatoki.

There was no way she could have a movie debut with Koga-san, she rationalized. President Takarada said so. He pointed out her inability to act out the joys of love and he was right. She'd been in love before and she knew the joy she had when she was still ignorant of the world and Sho's indiscretions. She'd thought about using those to channel the kinds of emotions needed for the movie, but she knew that thinking about the past just made her angry and bitter; it wouldn't be good for her future.

"G-good morning, Sho-kun," a girl greeted him. Kyoko turned her head and was surprised to find one of the most popular actresses in Japan staring at their joined hands.

"Morning," Sho greeted flippantly as they walked on towards the elevator banks.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "Unless you tell me what you're scheming, I'm about to kick you in the balls here."

"I told you, didn't I?" he answered. "I'm going to make your dreams come true."

"Well, I'm sorry," she huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her hand from his grasp. "My dreams are very different now. It's no longer 'Sho's hapiness is my happiness.'"

"I'm talking about your movie debut, stupid," he snapped.

"Don't call me stupid, idiot!" she retorted back. "And how the hell are you going to make my debuting dreams come true? Koga-san isn't even part of Akatoki. Don't tell me you're doing a crossover to acting. Well, I'm sorry. I've only acted with you once and your talent isn't quite enough. I had to dig up my emotions to get you to act properly. You should just stick to singing!"

Shotaro just chuckled, which irritated her even more.

The elevator doors opened and Shotaro stepped out, leaving her behind. "Before you spit in my face, you may want to hear what I have to say first."

Kyoko hated to admit that her curiosity was piqued by his challenge. She was positive that she wasn't getting the Koga movie so why was he so confident that there was an alternative? She slowly moved to follow behind him.

"Is the President in?" Shotaro asked before the receptionist could stand up and greet him properly as they stepped into a luxurious lobby.

The President's office? The president of Akatoki Agency?

Shotaro just continued to move forward without waiting for an answer from the receptionist and Kyoko gawked in panic. Even Ren wouldn't do something like that to President Takarada and he's number one in LME! This was a different company and Sho was their number one. How different were things in this place?

"Sho!" the president greeted him with a grin. "What brings you..." His voice trailed off as he noticed her standing behind Shotaro. "Why is Kyoko-san here?"

Kyoko looked at him in surprise. He knew her?

"President," Sho nudged her forward, for the first time that day, gently. "Make her part of Akatoki."

"Eeeeeh?" she exclaimed in surprise. Was he high?

The president's eyes widened in surprise and he asked, "Kyoko-san, did you leave LME?"

"N-no!" she exclaimed. She turned to Shotaro and looked at him as though he lost his mind. _This _was his brilliant plan? That's stupid!

"They won't let you act in the Koga movie, right?" Shotaro pointedly stated. "It's not like Koga was the one who had any reservations about having you for a leading lady." Before she could object, he continued, "I was there the night he personally scouted you to be part of his movie, Kyoko. If you transfer to Akatoki, you can be in it and be a star. From what you told me, the only reason you can't have a movie debut is because your agency wouldn't let you. "

"Th-They never said that I can't have a movie debut!" Kyoko retorted. Shotaro's being a smart ass about everything before he saw the whole picture. Stupid Shotaro, telling her what to do like it was the old days, and thinking he knew best. "There's another movie I can perform in!"

"Is it as big as the Koga movie?" Shotaro asked. "From what I know, in his last three movies, Koga took virtual unknowns and put them in the popularity charts. You just told me earlier that you're going to be stuck in villain roles for the rest of your life."

The president's eyes widened. "You've been offered to act with Koga-kun, Kyoko-san?"

"Ye-yes, sir," Kyoko answered. She didn't know what to say. For a moment she considered the two movies. President Takarada said that the other movie had a good director, cast, script... everything. Plus, she will get to work with Moko-san again! The movie theme was a murder suspense as a psycho girl. She just didn't know if the movie was going to be big like the one with Koga-san. She was planning to read through the unfinished script only when she passed by the office after getting much needed sleep.

"Besides," Shotaro continued when she didn't say anything. "It's not like you can't work on both movies. If you want both, you can do that here in Akatoki. If you stay in LME, you only get to do the other one. Isn't that right, president?"

"Sh-Sho..." the President tried to calm the worked-up idiot down. "It's not as simple as you think. There are things to consider. First of which, does Kyoko-san even want to switch agencies...?" He turned to her in question.

"I can't leave!" Kyoko exclaimed emphatically. "All my friends are in LME!"

"Friends?" Shotaro gave her a deadpan stare. Kyoko glared back. What did he know? He's always been popular and had friends and admirers around him. He would never understand what it's like having a friend for the first time after sixteen years! "So?" he raised an eyebrow at her. "You have friends in LME. You don't have any friends outside of it?"

Of course she did! she thought indignantly. Without him in her life, she has become more appealing to people.

"Besides," Sho shrugged. "If they're really your friends, they would continue to be your friends no matter what agency you're in."

"Kyoko-san," The Akatoki president turned to her with a serious face and business-like tone. "Other than friendships, do you have any more obligations to LME?"

"Eh?" Kyoko was startled by the questions. "My shows-"

"Akatoki has a team that can make transfer and transition of any paperwork as smooth as possible," the President cut her off. "You're the actress, you let other people worry about small details. Unless of course, your manager will be joining you."

She always worked on her own paper work. Well, as far as was required of her. "I don't have a manager yet," she answered. "Also, I'm still paying off debts at the LME Acting Training School."

"We could always pay it off for you and you transfer the debt to us," he waved his hand as though it could be easily done just like that.

"Um..." Kyoko finally got the courage. "Sir? I just have to ask..."

"What is it, dear?"

"Why are you suddenly so adamant about making me part of your agency?" she asked, totally weirded out. Not five minutes ago, he was telling Shotaro not to be too hasty, suddenly he was addressing any apprehensions she had. If he pulled out a contract out of his pocket now, Kyoko wouldn't be surprised.

"Kyoko-san," the President of Akatoki chuckled. "You're a star."

"Excuse me?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side.

"You're talented, smart and rumored to be a favorite of Takarada-san," he pressed. "I'm not going to lie. If you want to transfer to us, we will welcome you with open arms because we want someone just like you. There's obviously something special about you."

"I'm sorry?" Kyoko blinked. She'd never heard of that! President Takarada just threw out random comments, Sawara-san was always so no-nonsense about her progress, and Ren - the one she looked up to in terms of acting - never made it a secret that she still had a long way to go.

Maybe... she turned towards Shotaro. This was part of the reason why egomaniacs like Shotaro and Nanokura-san are so smug about their abilities.

But... it actually felt nice to be told that once in a while.

"Those aside," the President said. "All you need to do is to turn in your resignation from LME. We will welcome you with open arms. If Takarada-san won't let you perform in the movie with Koga Hiromune, you will certainly be allowed to do so with us. You can also do that other movie that you mentioned. It's only a matter of you agreeing to our conditions and us accepting yours."

Her conditions? Kyoko raised an eyebrow. Wasn't being employed enough of an incentive?

"Then there's a matter of matching the pay LME is giving you..." he continued. He looked at her. "Kyoko-san, may I ask what is your average salary now?"

Kyoko turned and glared at Shotaro. Even though she was a working actress and was earning more money than she ever had, it still wasn't much to sustain the small savings she had after bills she had to pay. There was no way she will let Shotaro laugh at her for it. She turned to the Akatoki President and said it in a low voice only he would hear.

The President blinked at her in disbelief. Kyoko wondered if she was being paid too much. The exectutive counter-offered, "Then what do you think about..."

The terms he said made Kyoko's eyes widen.

"Of course," he chuckled. "You will be entitled to change the terms once you've proven your worth. Don't answer yet. I don't like dealing with indecisive people. Think about it for a while. You can tell later once you've made your decision. While you're at it, let me tell you all the other privileges you will get part of the Akatoki family..."

* * *

_8:50 AM_

"Why did you bring me here?" Kyoko asked as the elevator descended down to the parking basement where Shoko-san was waiting for them.

Sho was actually starting to feel the strain of not sleeping so he was leaning against the elevator wall. He opened his eyes and looked at her. He also wasn't used to being up this early in the morning. "Why do you think I brought you here?" he returned the question to her.

Moments ago, Sho had to finally pull her out of the president's grasp. She was starting to look so overwhelmed at the description of the benefits that the guy was laying at Kyoko's feet. It was obviously very different from the kind of life she had in LME. They managed to get out with a promise to hear from Kyoko later in the day because she needed to consider things carefully. Now, they were on their way down where Shoko-san was waiting for them so they can drive her home.

"I don't know," she started pacing the small empty elevator. "We're supposed to be sworn enemies. I don't want your help! I'm going to be a star on my own!" she angrily turned to him.

"You've already become a star on your own," he retorted. "And you'll become a bigger one if you take the Koga movie. If LME's the one holding you back, then you should consider leaving that agency and be with one that will allow you to do whatever you want." He still didn't get why her agency wouldn't let her do as she pleased.

"Then what's in it for you?" she asked haughtily. "I don't want to owe you anything. It will bite me in the ass if I just accept it when you start collecting debts."

"You don't owe me anything," She watched as he turned his tired face away from her.

"You can't expect me to believe that!" she whined. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Sho turned to face her, and she looked furious. "I mean it. I don't want to owe you anything. I'm not going to spend the rest of my life trying to repay you for what you're doing."

"Argh!" he let out a cry of frustration as he straightened up, charged forward, grabbed her shoulders and cornered her. "I already said you don't owe me anything. I owe you." He felt her sharp intake of breath. Their faces were just inches from each other and it was the first time in his life he realized just how cute she really was.

Just then, the elevator door opened, and people were shocked to see the position they were in.

"Sho-kun, I'm shocked..." a popular idol's eyes widened.

"Good job, Fuwa-kun," an actor from the Acting Section gave him a thumbs-up.

A blush heated up Sho's face as he pulled Kyoko out of the elevator. "This isn't the place to talk about this," he muttered as he took her hand, and they started walking towards the parking lot.

"No," she pulled her hand out of his grasp and stepped back. "This place is fine. I've had enough of you dragging me around for the morning. I'm not moving from this spot until you tell me why you brought me here and why you're helping me."

"What does it matter?" Sho asked. "Whatever I tell you, you're not going to believe me anyway."

"Suppose that I promise to believe the next thing you tell me," she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then I'd tell you it's because I'm in love with you," Sho answered back angrily. Before she could react, violently, as was apparent on her face, he continued, "See?" He shook his head. "You can ask me a million times and I'll still give you the same answer." He sighed. "I'm not going to say that dumping you before was the biggest mistake of my life. It was what made me realize how great you are. You're cute and loving and sweet and I want to have that again. Only this time, I want to do it properly. So, there is no way in hell that I will ever let you think that there is anything that you can't do. Not if I can do anything about it. You want to have a proper movie debut, I will make it happen." Then he shrugged. "Well, I can only make it happen this way because I'm not an actor." It wasn't like that moron Tsuruga will help her make it happen. That ass had too much pride as an actor to help out a lowly kouhai. Who the hell did he think he was? Wasn't he supposed to be in love with her? Anyway, Kyoko was just as talented as he was. Maybe even better. Definitely better.

Kyoko just stared at him for a while before stomping her foot on the floor and muttering, "Damn it, I want to hear that while you're on your knees."

Sho gritted his teeth. His pride had taken quite a beating whenever it concerned her. He'd promised himself that he would never get on his knees for her. Not for anyone. But he never once thought he would ever lose. He was going to get what he wanted and if this was what it took to get it... He thought as he started lowering himself to the floor with a grimace.

"Eeew~! No!" Kyoko exclaimed as she grabbed his collar to drag him back up. "Gross-"

Once Sho's face was leveled with hers, Sho lunged forward and kissed her fully on the lips.

It wasn't like the kiss he forced on her last Valentine's Day. He wanted to erase that memory from her mind. He didn't want her to remember things like that. That was to make sure he never left her mind, not to communicate what he felt about her. He wanted to make new memories with her. Better ones. Happier ones, he thought as his mouth moved hungrily over hers. He pinned her against the wall.

Kyoko made a sound of protest and tried to push him away. Invisible steely bands started wrapping around his arms, waist, legs and his head and He knew this feeling. He always felt it whenever he was near her. Sho felt that they were trying to pull him away from Kyoko. But he held on tighter to her with no intention of letting her go. If she was not going to believe his words, he would make her feel it with his actions.

* * *

_12:00 NN_

Kyoko stared up at the ceiling of her room at the Daruma-ya as she woke up from yet another shallow sleep.

She couldn't get it out of her head. The kiss Shotaro gave her. It was so different from the one that he gave her last Vain Day. She'd known Shotaro since they were small children, but this was a side of Shotaro that she'd never seen before. He was an egomaniac who was full of pride. Before this, she believed that it was because he had a lot about which to be proud. Now, she had thought he was just a braggart who was too proud of the talent he had. She thought she would never see the day where Sho felt needy.

She turned to her side, snuggled under the covers. It was very different from the kiss she and Ren had the other night. That kiss made her feel warm, comfortable and safe. Perhaps it even made her feel a little confused because she couldn't understand what made her feel that way. Shotaro... she squinted as she tried to suppress the feeling again. His kiss made her heart race; it pounded in her ears and when he touched her skin, it made her feel hot-

She purged the thought from her head and thought about what she was going to do. For some reason, there was a look in Shotaro's eye that made her feel all shivery inside her body. What happened consumed her mind, but not like the one back in Vain Day. Now she understood what the twinge in her heart was. It was an opening. Someone sly enough would be able to enter. Why the hell was it Shotaro again?

Again, she kicked the thought out of her mind. She wasn't considering Akatoki's offer because of him. She wasn't even considering it! No way! She can't leave LME! She loved LME. Like she said, all her friends were there. But they will still be her friends even if she transferred, Shotaro said. She had so much more to learn from the agency. But she was going to get the same experiences in Akatoki, the president assured her. More, in fact, because she'll get to do more as an actress and less as an office lackey. But Ren was in LME! Going to Akatoki...

It meant that she could concentrate more as an actress. In LME, because she was in the Love Me Section, people assigned her other kinds of work from following them around work - which was sort of an acting learning experience to couriering paperwork from one place to another - which really didn't have anything to do with acting. Of course, her roles were the top priority, but in between... when she could have spent them going to auditions, looking for other acting work, she was being asked to do other tasks. And now that her big break was coming, LME pulled the plug on it.

It was like... her stomach clenched at the realization as she looked at Shotaro's picture on her wall. It was like being with Shotaro all over again. Blind loyalty, only to become unrewarded in the end...

Of course it wasn't, she reasoned, she got her break as Bo - which really was just to fill in for someone. The Kyurara CM was something she did on her own. Being the angel in the Prisoner PV was a result of that. Mio was a result of the PV. Natsu was a result of Mio... Slowly, she started realizing that she did it all on her own. LME was almost just like middle man. Well, yeah, LME really has helped her all the way. For that she will always be grateful to them. But if she can't grow... And it wasn't like she was moving because Shotaro told her to. If she did, she was moving for herself.

Then her eyes landed on Ren's picture. She got to play Setsu alongside him because of the President. But even that didn't get her any kind of reward. She didn't care for the money or the recognition so, she wondered, what was all that for? She slowly realized that it really just was to make sure Ren ate his meals, and to play his good luck charm which she didn't know if she even accomplished.

What the hell was wrong with her? she thought as she shook the thought out of her head. She was choosing agencies, not people. It's not Tsuruga Ren vs. Fuwa Sho. It was LME against Akatoki.

She did discuss it with the okami-san and the taisho while they prepared for the shop's lunch service and she ate breakfast. Like always, they just said to do whatever she thought would be best for her career.

She rolled to the other side and saw the pass hanging out of the pocket of her purse.

Because she still didn't believe that Shotaro will not make her pay for what he's trying to do for her, he shoved the ticket and the all-access pass for his concert in the evening and said that attending would do as payment. Aki-san drove her home - it was a wonder why she knew where she lived - and she seemed happy when she found them together.

She wanted to act with Koga Hiromune-san. Not because it will make her famous. It was because she promised herself that when she acted, she will experience more and more with a lot of different people and enhance her skills. As greedy as it was, she wanted to do the other movie too. It was already a role she was used to, but every character - Ren once told her - was different with their own personality and acting in similar roles - Kuu-oton once told her - was much harder than acting in a variety of roles. She wanted to do both. The more movies and dramas she acted in, the more experience she will get. Hence, it will make her closer to being able to act opposite Ren. She really wanted to act with him.

Moving to Akatoki, she thought, would not diminish any chances of that happening, would it?

* * *

_3:00 PM_

"Hello?" Sawara Takenori answered the phone.

"Sawara-san," the chief of security chuckled. "I was informed Love Me Number One has entered the building five minutes ago. I just thought you would like to know."

"Ah, thank you," Takenori answered. It wasn't like he was hiding from Mogami-kun. But after being informed by the President that she will be withdrawing from the Koga movie, Takenori knew she was going to haunt him again. He wasn't in the mood for that right now. So, he stacked up his paperwork and announced that it was time for his coffee break.

The door opened as he headed for it and he jumped back when her scary smiling self popped up and greeted him, "Sawara-san!"

Damn it! Takenori flinched. He hadn't moved quickly enough but he recovered quickly from his attempt. "Good afternoon, Mogami-kun..." he greeted as he staggered back to his desk after his failed attempt to get away. Oddly enough, as Mogami-kun stood in front of his desk, a smile was plastered on her face. She also wasn't wearing the Love Me Uniform.

"I just got back from Odawara," she dug into a paperbag she was carrying.

Odawara? he thought wryly. Wasn't she supposed to be with Cain Heel? They were scheduled to have checked out at noon.

"Here!" she smiled and held out a small box of, from what he read from the label, fish cakes. "Souvenirs from Odawara. I'm sorry I didn't get the nicer ones from the shops. I only got this at the station. I was kinda in a hurry to catch the train. But I was told that these are very good ones. Please share them with everyone."

"Th-Thank you, Mogami-kun," he said as he took the box. "How kind of you."

"Also..." she said as she rummaged through her purse. Then held out an envelope with both hands.

Takenori's brain ceased to function. It read 'Letter of Resignation'. "What is this?" His hand shook as he reached for it.

"Sawara-san," Mogami-kun bowed formally. "Thank you very much for all the guidance you've given me since I joined LME. I will really never forget your kindness."

"Mogami-kun!" he half-stood from his desk and felt his hands turn cold as a shiver ran down his spine. "What's the meaning of this?" he shouted.

Every head within the Talent Section of LME turned to them. Still wearing the smile that hadn't left her face since she entered, Mogami-kun answered, "It's as it says, Sawara-san. I'm leaving." When he didn't say anything, she continued, "LME, I mean."

"Why?" he demanded. "Where will you go? You can't quit acting!"

She paused. For the moment, the smile disappeared but reappeared just as she answered, "I'm not quitting. I'm just transferring. To Akatoki Agency." Then she placed a paperbag on his desk. "These are the things I borrowed from LME. My ID, my phone, the box, the charger, my uniform, some files I was asked to read through... I still have a set of coveralls which I will return once I get them out of the laundry. Well, if there's anything else I missed, please let me know."

Akatoki Agency, Takenori's head started spinning. That was the agency that Fuwa Sho was from. She couldn't really mean to that she was going to transfer there just for him. She has already repeatedly denied any involvement with the musician so what's with the change of heart from her? Even with the boy's mother around. "Is... is there any specific reason why you're moving there?" he asked. At the back of his mind, he was prepared to offer anything to match whatever the rival agency was giving her. She was being groomed to be one of LME's biggest stars, so he was sure that the President would approve.

"The opportunities in Akatoki are just much more promising for me," she answered.

"Does this have anything to do with the Koga movie?"

"Part of it, yes," she nodded. Then she took a step back and bowed once again.

Without another word, she turned around and exited the office, leaving everyone staring in awe. Once the fact settled in Takenori, he quickly stood up and hurried to the President's office.

* * *

_3:30 PM_

Ren was sitting on the spot where he and Kyoko first met.

He really wanted to share the view with her, he thought as he stared out at the river and relaxed. It was the perfect day to be there. It could have only been more perfect had Kyoko been there with him.

He was really disappointed that she didn't take the trip with him. He wanted desperately to dissuade her when she said that she couldn't come along, but there was such panic in her eyes, Ren didn't feel it was right to press her. The fact that she was trying to get away was not because of the trip itself. It was because of him. He realized it when she claimed that she had something to do in Tokyo when she'd already said that she didn't. He wasn't going to fault her, it was a sign that he was hurrying things along and that she was uncomfortable with the pace. He should have gotten a clue when she said that she didn't want to learn everything about him after learning about Kuon Hizuri, but he got too eager after their kiss. So he let her go back on her own. It wasn't like he wasn't going to see her when he got back.

It was just a silly trip anyway. Totally unplanned and he didn't know why he was taking it. To Kyoto. With her. Tsuruga Ren wasn't designed to be an impulsive person. Cain was. Kuon too, which was what got him into so much trouble in the past. He had to tuck it away when he created the character of Tsuruga Ren.

He looked at the time. Still early. His train back was scheduled for five in the afternoon so he thought about making his way back and swinging by a shop he passed by earlier to pick up some cute little confectioneries and green tea for Kyoko. She liked sweet things and he really didn't have any more excuses to see her since their stint as Cain and Setsu was officially over.

At least now, he can start moving forward his relationship with her as friends. Don't be in a hurry, he scolded himself. He'd been patient a long time, he can stand to be patient a little more. Leading her in the right direction was the key.

Then his phone rang and he checked the caller ID before answering, "Hello? Tsuruga here."

"Ren..." The President's voice was serious and curt. "Are you still in Kyoto?"

"Sir..." Ren greeted. "Good afternoon. Yes, I'm still in Kyoto. What can I do for you?"

"I have a question..."

It wasn't unusual for the President to call for no reason. It was part of who he was. Ren just got used to it. "What is it, sir?"

"Was Mogami-kun acting... strange last night?" he asked.

"She always acts strange," Ren chuckled. "Why do you ask?"

"Not half an hour ago," the President stated. "Mogami-kun turned in her resignation and told Sawara-kun that she's switching to Akatoki Agency- BEFORE YOU HANG UP THE PHONE," he shouted just as Ren was in the act of doing so, "you won't be able to contact her. She left her phone, her uniform, her IDs... everything already."

"Wha-" Ren was confused. He felt as though someone ripped his heart out of his chest. "Why-? How did this happen?"

"I don't know," the President sighed. "I think it has something to do with what I told her earlier about not allowing her to act in the Koga movie..."

"What?" Ren suddenly felt outrage for Kyoko. "Why? Why would you do that?"

"Because she wasn't ready to perform in a movie focused on the joys of love," the President sighed. "It was the same with you and Katsuki. She's not ready for a role like that. If she continued to act in the movie, she would definitely get stuck and Koga will no longer look at her favorably. That would not bode well for her, and I don't think praises for her work as a psychopath will reverse the effect. In fact, it will only make the belief that she's only good for villain roles more pronounced. When I said it, I was hoping she would oppose it, like you did when you opposed me for Katsuki. But she never did."

Ren quickly stood up from the rock where he and Kyoko used to share stories and made his way out of the clearing into the path in the forest. "I'd say this is her way of opposing your decision. Just because we're similar doesn't mean we'll react the same way to being told we're not enough!" Just before the signal was lost because of the thickness of the trees, he said, "I'll get back to Tokyo as soon as I can!"

Fuwa? he thought in panic as he broke into a run towards the car parked at the end of the path. She was going to Fuwa?

* * *

_5:30 PM_

"It's OK... I'm OK..." she said over and over again as she gripped the Corn stone tightly. "It was the right thing to do..." she whispered to herself, but somehow she couldn't get the image of Sawara-san's shocked face and the surprised ones from the other people in the Talent Section out of her head.

She never thought that she would become such an emotional wreck. When she considered leaving LME, the only people who really came into mind were Moko-san, Maria-chan and Ren. She never thought the LME office staff would reduce her to tears once she thought about them after she came home from Akatoki Agency. She had signed with them and arranged to continue her current work. A manager would be ready to join her by the end of the week.

"I'm going to be OK..." she whispered for the last time. She raised the Corn stone to the light, but never got to see the calming color change because the okami-san called out to her from the other side of the door.

"Kyoko-chan!" she called. "Someone's here to see you!"

Kyoko turned and crawled to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to see Moko-san's angry face. "Moko...san...?"

"What a pathetic way of greeting your number one friend..." she said slowly and seethingly. Then she just exploded, "I just came by the office and heard! What the hell is wrong with you? If you're going to do something like this, you should at least ask me! Or if your heart's set on it already, you should tell me. I don't care if you leave me a voicemail or even a simple mail, damn it. Just let me know!"

"Moko-san..." Kyoko blinked up at her first friend ever. "You're not angry that I switched agencies?"

"Why would I be?" Moko-san cried out indignantly. "It's your life! You do what you want! As long as you're acting, it's OK, right?"

Suddenly, Kyoko felt as though a thorn had been pulled from her side. Moko-san understood...

"But you're still my best friend, right?" Kyoko tearily asked.

"Of course, stupid!" Moko-san asserted. "So that makes us much more than rivals! Solely acting rivals! We're no longer bound by the same curse! You're no longer my comrade in pink."

Kyoko let out a cry of outrage at the thought and her face fell.

"What is with that face! You hate the pink curse as much as I do!" Moko-san cried out. Then she sighed. "Well? Do you want to go out tonight? To celebrate your transfer."

"I..." Kyoko hesitated. "I'm going somewhere else tonight." She avoided her eyes.

"Kyoko..." She seethingly glared at her. "Where are you going tonight?"

"To Budokan," she answered smally. When Moko-san tilted her head to the side, she continued, "For Shotaro's White Day concert." Before Moko-san could go on an angry tirade, she hurriedly explained, "He was the one who helped me get into Akatoki. I didn't want to owe him anything so he said that the only way to make things even between us is by going to his concert tonight. Please don't hate me! We're still going out tomorrow for ice cream, right?"

"Fuwa Sho doesn't have anything to do with your decision to switch agencies, does it?" Moko-san's demanded suspiciously.

"No... No! Of course not!" Kyoko swore. She thought things through. With only considerations to her career. "It's something I did because..." She felt awful. She'd never had anyone who could understand the whole thing before, so she found herself confessing everything that happened: from the Koga movie offer to President Takarada's refusal to let her even try it to the terms that the president of Akatoki gave for her career path. She excluded the part where she now has an opening in her heart and that Shotaro was in danger of sneaking back into it.

Once she finished, Moko-san looked at her incredulously. "So you're doing all of this for Tsuruga-san?"

"Not him _him_," Kyoko emphasized. "The chance to act alongside him." It was hard to explain. There was still no way she would ever reveal that Ren was Kuon Hizuri, son of Kuu and Juli Hizuri and that he played Cain Heel in a movie that will surely gain him attention abroad before the year ends. She took a deep breath and said, "Ren... He is an actor I want to act alongside no matter what. Not Mio. I mean, someone opposite him with equal billing. He's someone I have to act with in order to know that I'm a true actress." She looked at her worriedly. "You do understand, don't you, Moko-san? Have you ever met an actor who was so much better than you that you want nothing more than to be in the same rank?"

Moko-san just looked at her for a second. "Yes, I have met someone like that. I've met two, actually."

"Really?" Kyoko's smile widened. "Who?"

"One is our dai-senpai, Hio-kun," Moko-san said in a tone that bore the weight of the responsibility. It was similar to how she referred to Ren.

"Who's the other one?"

Moko-san just tilted her head to the side and looked at her. "I'll tell you when I finally get to act alongside her and we're equally important..." Then she huffed. "I still don't see why you have to switch agencies to do it though. It's like you're in a hurry. Tsuruga-san is someone who will be around for a long, long time."

Kyoko let out a sad smile. No, he wasn't.

* * *

_9:15 PM_

No, the President had it all wrong. She will be able to act in the Koga movie, Kyoko thought as she stood up from her seat.

President Takarada was right to say that she will never be able to act out the joys of love that morning. She continued her musing as she walked towards the front of the crowd. If she stayed in LME, she would never have been able to do it. Now she can because she moved to Akatoki Agency. Her future was secure for the meantime...

She stiffened at the sight of the large men that composed the security through the metal dividers. She feebly raised her pass to indicate she had access, still nervous that they would think that she looked too plain and ordinary for someone to have an access pass and accuse her of forging it. Fortunately, they let her through.

Kyoko had never been to a concert of Shotaro's since he'd joined show business and been officially recognized. Back then, she was alright with it. She was busy working her part time jobs to pay for their living expenses and she knew all the songs anyway. Also, she was always with him whenever he could come home. Now she was at her first concert when he was at the top of the music charts, and she didn't even know half of the songs he performed.

...and it's not just joining Akatoki Agency that made her confident about acting in the Koga movie. She happily ran towards the backstage of Shotaro's sold-out White Day concert.

She was a year older and a little wiser. Wise enough to make sure that she will never be treated like crap again. Her children had accepted her decision and from now on will make sure of that.

That one song irked her. One stupid song. She knew the title and the release date - she heard girls from the Box "R" set talk about it, but up to this day, she'd never heard it. She knew that it was meant for her but she always thought it was a psychological attack. She'd never expected it to be what filled the opening in her heart's defenses.

"Kyoko-chan!" Aki-san called out to her and waved for her to come.

She led her to the side of the stage where the crowd was screaming for an encore. In the wing was Sho, being fussed over by a crew of people fitting him for his last costume change, adjusting his headset, giving him instructions about the set list for the encore, wiping his sweat, fixing his hair, and handing him a bottle of water.

As Kyoko stared at him, she started thinking about how she used to blindly adore him. How her happiness was always dependent on his own in the hope that some day he will come to love her, and she hated it. She hated him because of it. But now she understood why her mundane and feeble efforts never made an impact of him. It was because those things were already being done by so many other nameless faces that surrounded him.

He was a cheat and his lies were always covered up by her faith in him. Now that they were in reversed positions, she longed to do exactly the same thing he'd done to her. But because of the history they had with each other, she knew. More than most people. The only time Shotaro has been truly and openly honest was when he wrote songs. He poured his heart and soul into every single song he'd ever written. Even if he had hundreds of songs stuck in his head that he'd never written, they were always inspired by something that happened in his life.

Every music critic who has ever analyzed his songs always wrote about how they centered around the excitement of a care-free life. The single he released on the 25th of December on her seventeenth birthday was the perfect song to sing today and there was something about his delivery that made Kyoko cry without being angry at him first.

"Seven minutes, people!" the stage manager shouted.

People started leaving Sho's side. He started moving around like he was trying to hype himself up, but he turned his head and spotted her.

"Kyoko," he walked up to her. He touched his ear to adjust something from his headset. Kyoko knew it was to turn it off as the Ishibashi-onii-sans did when they stepped off of the stage.

"Shotaro," she said a little louder than her normal tone. It was noisy with the audience outside and the busyness of the backstage.

"Would you stop calling me that," he let out a breath of exasperation. "At least use my stage name. I'm literally on stage right now." When she didn't say anything, he turned to her. "Did you like the concert?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Then you should have stayed for the encore," he pointed out.

"I didn't know there was going to be an encore," she answered.

"It's going to be at least 30 more minutes," he said. "Stay close to Shoko-san, alright? You can't get lost with her around."

"Sho," she looked up at him.

"What?"

"Ren... Tsuruga Ren is my friend, my mentor and my senpai."

His face turned into a snarl. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"As an actress, my goal is to act opposite him in any genre of drama or movie," she continued. "I'll only know that I'm a worthwhile actress if I get to do that. I'm never going to allow you to say anything bad about his talent. I intend to see that goal through."

"Damn it, Kyoko," he scoffed. "Why are you telling me this now? I still have five songs to go."

"Also," She didn't stop, "I won't be at every concert or gig. I don't answer calls during work. There are also some days I won't come home until the wee hours of the morning. I don't cook breakfast that often. If you break a leg and I'm at a shoot, I'm not going to run to your side to nurse you back to health." The more she said, the more she realized that those were things she resented about him after they broke up. "I also don't like being dragged around as though you cannot reason with me logically in order to convince me to come along for something."

"And...?"

"And if you break my heart a second time, I will murder you with my own two hands. I even have people that love me enough to help me hide your body afterward." she finished.

Sho had a dumbfounded look on his face. He looked like his brain had completely blanked out.

Ugh... Kyoko thought exasperatedly. He's still an idiot. How could he let himself black out while he's working? She raised her hand and waved it in front of his eyes. He grabbed it and said, "I will never like Tsuruga."

"I'm not expecting you to like him," she answered back. "But why are we still talking about him?"

"You're right," Sho pulled her close to him and let his mouth dance over her as he continued, "Why are we?"

* * *

_10:30 PM_

Ren stumbled as he tried to stand up and make his way to the well-stocked bar in his apartment, nearly tripping over a bottle.

He came too late. It was almost seven in the evening when he got back to Tokyo. He hurried to LME and demanded from Sawara-san what happened. Sawara-san, who was a good friend, relayed that Kyoko came in at around three and handed in her resignation, giving Ren the bare facts of what happened. She barely left any explanation other than that she was transferring to Akatoki Agency because of how many 'more opportunities' were available for her there.

He really wanted to shake the President because of his part in what happened when they met in the hallway. But Maria-chan was in a sobbing fit and Ren gallantly (if foolishly) promised to bring her precious onee-sama back. He found his car which had been parked there for days and headed for the restaurant where she lived.

"She went out," the okami-san said when he asked to see her. "She didn't say what time she will be coming home. I think she went to a concert of a friend."

His heart dropped when he realized that she really did see Fuwa. He didn't know where the concert was and even if he could get in at face value. He thanked them and asked them to ask her to call him when she got back.

"I thought LME was supposed to be very good with her career," the taisho said sternly as Ren stepped out. "She wouldn't have even considered switching had she not been tempted with a lot more opportunities."

He could have easily faulted the President, but the President wasn't necessarily wrong. He'd never been the type to spoonfeed anyone in LME. He was the same when it came to dealing with anyone, but Kyoko's personality was just a little too different. Everyone kept repeating 'opportunities' to his face. Was Fuwa part of that opportunity?

Ren started feeling it again. The side of the possessive Cain Heel who wanted to have Setsu by his side at all times. He still hasn't gotten over the character and wanted to feel more of it. As Ren reached for his nth bottle, he chuckled to himself. "I've gone low enough that I'll lie to myself. It isn't Cain wanting Setsu... It's all me. I just want all of her. That's why she ran away, isn't it?"

He took a deep chug of the bottle and thought to himself. Tomorrow he'll be better. But for just tonight, he wanted to drown his heart break a little. No matter what he tried to think, he knew he lost her.

* * *

_11:58 PM_

"Kyoko?" Sho said as she laid cuddled in his arms.

"What is it, Sho?" Kyoko shifted slightly as she pulled the covers over his chest for the sake of his modesty. Some things about her will never change, he thought with amusement.

Sho was feeling inexplicably happy. The White Day concert was a success, and he was feeling on top of the world. He managed to convince Kyoko to come to the after-concert party at the Tokyo Imperial Herald Hotel even though she still had a shoot tomorrow at ten. They stayed briefly at the suite where Queen Records were throwing a party for him then disappeared into a room that Shoko-san efficiently got them on another floor so they could eat, talk, and let one thing lead to another.

He was going to have to make a lot of changes in his life now, like getting his own place. Especially now that he was sure that Kyoko was, is and will always be his. He had never been so sure of anything in his life since he joined show business to become a star. "Marry me."

Kyoko barely moved but let out a sputter of laughter. "No."

A dark cloud hovered over him as he frowned, annoyed. "Why not?" he demanded. "Saena-oba-san signed the papers, didn't she?" He refused to believe his mother would have given him his consent form if hers hadn't. Her refusal made him begin to worry that he was more in love with her than she was with him.

"You're not yet 18," Kyoko answered sleepily as she snuggled closer to him. "You can't get married until you're 18. Besides, I burned my consent form a couple of days ago..."

"What?" Sho nearly shouted, half-rising from his relaxed position but stopped when Kyoko yelped and winced.

"So," Kyoko continued as Sho lay back down on the bed and she settled her head against the crook of his arm. "If you want that to happen, you're just going to have to wait until the two of us are 20."

Sho pouted and frowned as Kyoko drifted off to sleep. He started thinking about the craziness of his day. He was seriously hopeless when he started his day. He had a few half-baked plans to win Kyoko back. Never in a million years would he have thought that his day would end like this: with the girl he loved in his arms. He smirked as he thought of how this all started on some stupid pursuit over a small cup of pudding.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "The pudding!"

"Shut up, Shotaro," she mumbled in her sleep. "I'll get you your stupid pudding when we see each other on the fifteenth."

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Hah! I'm done with my Sho phase. No, I did not pull a bait and switch on anyone. I changed my plans on the ending to give it a little more 'umph'. Expect two more chapters. This was supposed to be a straightforward Ren and Kyoko fanfic, but that turned out too bland, boring and predictable based on the reviews that I received. Yes, I read and love reviews even if I don't ask for them. Besides, with all the little knick knacks I threw in the story along with the build up, it would have been a waste if I didn't take advantage because I don't want to have to write a new fanfic just for it.

- This was inspired by two things: Chapter 17 of alitablake's Daydreamer's Playlist (a possible continuation... I dunno. Reader's call.) and the second season of Kimi no Todoke for the concept of love is about timing. Sho-chan was just at the right place at the right time.

- After writing this trainwreck, I'm not expecting reviews. But thank you for reading.

- Next chapter: How Hikaru changes the whole thing. Yes, I know you don't care about Hikaru at this point but Ren won't come until the chapter after. He will come, I promise.


	18. Chapter 18

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Fifteen B  
**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon & Jhiz for beta-reading

**Dedications: **Jhiz - I did not follow the rules but this is my contribution. LOL.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 1 Day Before White Day (March 13)**

_5:52 AM_

Kyoko took a deep breath as she stepped off the bullet train.

It was six in the morning, and there were two more hours before Ren arrived in Kyoto.

She sadly wondered if he was angry at her for chickening out of the trip. He probably was because the trip cost a lot of money and she refused to continue with him.

Last night, during the stopover at Odawara, she started getting a funny feeling - a twinge in her heart. A premonition that something life-changing would happen should she continue on the trip to Kyoto with Ren. She was scared and intimidated because she knew that there was nothing she could have done to protect herself if something happened in that place. She barely had any money on her, and even if it was the place she was born and raised, there wasn't really anyone or anywhere she could run to for help. She was completely at Ren's mercy.

It was a matter of self-preservation, she convinced herself when she started remembering the disappointed look on Ren's face. No amount of abandoned puppies he could summon could ever overpower her instinct to save herself. She made up an explanation that there was something that she needed to accomplish in Tokyo so she had to go back even though she said the night before that there was none. He wanted to go back with her, but she managed to convince him that he should proceed to Kyoto because if he chose the place to go to, he must be unconsciously thinking there was something he wanted to do there.

So after a four-hour wait in Odawara Station for the first train bound for Tokyo with only his coat to protect her from the cold, she made her way back to Tokyo.

She looked around in confusion. This being the first time she's ever gotten off at Tokyo Station, she really didn't know what to do.

She pulled out her phone and looked for the President's number. One of his servants answered and said that he was busy talking to someone else on the other line so she promised to call back later and hung up. Then she scrolled down her phonebook. There really wasn't anyone she could talk to at this point. Moko-san didn't know about the Heel siblings, but there really wasn't anyone else she could trust. Then she remembered that she had an early morning shoot so there was no way she would bother answering her phone. Then after scrolling down, it stopped on the name Ishibashi Hikaru-san.

No, no, no, she shook her head. She couldn't. Even if Hikaru-san was someone with whom she was very comfortable discussing work, she couldn't call him. He didn't know about the Heel siblings, and it would be a bother. After another moment's hesitation, she found herself pressing the call button.

* * *

_6:10 AM_

Thinking it was one of the guys, Ishibashi Hikaru, with his mouth full of cereal and the spoon still in his mouth, answered the phone, "Hello?"

"Ah, good morning, Hikaru-san," an urgent, familiar voice came through the line as he took the spoon from his mouth. "I'm so sorry to call so early in the morning."

"Kyoko-chan?" he dropped his spoon into his cereal bowl. "No, it's OK. What's up? It's so early."

"I'm so sorry," she answered. "I wouldn't call you if I didn't really need your help. Well, you said that we're friends and that I should call the Bridge Squad whenever I'm in a pinch, right? And I feel really bad to take advantage of that like this is, but..."

"Kyoko-chan," he calmed her down, sensing her apology was going to take longer than necessary. "It's OK. I wasn't kidding when I said you can call us whenever you're in trouble. What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Um..." she sounded helpless. "OK, so I'm at this job, right? Then some unscrupulous character came and took away my access to my things. Now I'm alone and-"

"WHAT?" he screamed. "You got mugged? Are you OK? Where are you?"

"No, I'm fine, " she answered hurriedly. "I just need to get out of my costume because it really attracts too much attention. And... well, I want to go home."

Hikaru stood up from his chair. "'Tou-san, I'm borrowing the car!" he cried as he ran out of the door.

"What? I thought Toyokawa-san was picking you up?" his mother called out.

"What? How am I supposed to get to work?" his father seconded.

Hikaru barely heard it as he ran out to the garage. "Where are you?" he breathed into the phone.

"Tokyo Station, near the front entrance."

Tokyo Station. That was pretty near where he lived. "I'll be there in a few minutes, OK? Just hang in there," he promised. "Stay put. Don't go anywhere. I'll call you when I get there, OK?"

"OK," she said meekly.

What the heck happened to Kyoko-chan? Hikaru thought worriedly. Getting into trouble and calling so early in the morning. Not that he wasn't glad that she called him, he had stressed over and over they were friends. This was the kind of thing friends would run to friends for so he shouldn't really be thinking too much into it.

Once at Tokyo Station, he parked the car on the side of the road. He rang up Kyoko-chan's phone and gave her instructions on what car she needed to find. He waited for a few seconds as she talked as she searched through some cars parked. "Ah!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I see you, Hikaru-san! I'm walking towards you right now from behind."

Hikaru looked at the side mirror and his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open as he spotted the girl who was walking up to him. He needed to do a double-take. It couldn't have been Kyoko-chan waving at him... In a blond wig, wrapped in a partially-buttoned long dark coat which covered her until the bottom half of her shins. Every step she took showed off her every inch of her smooth legs which made him wonder if she was even wearing anything. He had to take a sharp intake of breath before unlocking the passenger side door.

"Thank you so much, Hikaru-san," she said as she opened the door and entered the car. Hikaru saw her eyes and knew it was her. "You saved me."

The more pressing issue shook him back to reality and he asked, "Kyoko-chan, what happened? Did the guy who mugged you take anything else? It's a miracle that you still have your phone!"

"Huh?" she looked at him cluelessly.

She was confused, he thought. Then he put the car in drive and pulled off. Hopefully, he could drive properly without being too distracted looking at those legs as they slightly peeked out of the coat.

* * *

_6:30 AM_

"I didn't know you drive," Kyoko commented, starting a conversation to break the uncomfortable silence.

"I usually don't," Hikaru-san answered. "This is my dad's car, but I got my license when I was eighteen. I'm in a group so we always have to be together and Toyokawa-san drives us around. It's easier that way, but we take turns driving just to keep in practice."

"I see..." It was quiet again so she turned to him. "I guess I should explain what happened..."

"What?" He gave her a sideways glance. "You said on the phone, didn't you? You were out on a job and an unscrupulous character came by and took away your stuff. I hope you reported it. Anyway, it's good that you weren't harmed or anything."

"Yes, but considering that I'm dressed like this, at six in the morning..." She really wanted to tell him. Just to return the favor he was doing for her. "It is a job, but you picked me up at a place with no camera crew or anything."

"Well," he sighed. "It can only be one of three things. One, you asked me to pick you up at a place away from the set, which you shouldn't really have done. When you're in trouble, always stick with a crowd, not run off by yourself. Two, it wasn't really a job, you did something on your own personal time, which you can tell me if you want, but I don't think I want to know considering how you're dressed..."

Kyoko was horrified he'd think she would do something like that. "What's the third?" she asked hurriedly.

"It's an assignment from President Takarada," he finished.

"Hikaru-san..." she straightened. "You knew?"

"Huh?" he looked at her cluelessly. Then he let out a chuckle. "No, the President makes everyone do special personal jobs from time to time. He asked me one time to do something about a newbie idol once, who he said liked me a lot." He let out a cute blush. "There are also some rumors going around. Toyokawa-san once told me he heard from Matsunai Ruriko-chan's manager that they did something about her when she was becoming really popular and she started acting like a diva, but he didn't get a lot of what happened. They're all pretty secretive, but the rumors still tend to get around."

Kyoko stared at him in wonder.

"What?" he grinned at her as he took a right on the corner. "You think that when you get out of the Love Me Section, you're going to be free of the weird requests from the President?"

"Um... we should have taken a left," Kyoko said, looking back the way he just missed.

"I'm taking you to my home," he said matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry. I thought the worst and panicked when you said that something happened. I didn't bring a change of clothes or anything. You can't go home, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have called me."

"Well, I- I can," she shrugged. "Just not dressed like this. Otherwise, there will be hell to explain."

"Well, I'm glad you called me," he said. Kyoko turned to him curiously about what he meant. "At least, now I know that all my talk about me being there for you isn't just noise to you. "

"Of course it's not just noise," Kyoko insisted. "I meant what I said the other night. Your friendship means a lot to me. But..."

"But what?"

"Aren't I keeping you from work?" she answered, suddenly not sure about what she was going to say. "You're up so early and from the looks of you..." she looked at his form. "You're already ready to leave."

"No," he shook his head. "Well, Toyokawa-san will be picking me up at eight since I'm the one who lives the farthest. The last couple of days have been filled with early calls so I just got into the habit of waking up early. My mother has been complaining I haven't had a meal with the family lately, not that any of them are even up yet at this hour. My mother woke up early just to cook breakfast too. She prepared a lot so there'll be some for you too."

"I see..." she hesitantly answered, not really knowing what to say. "I... I guess I kept you from your mother."

"Then you're going to have to make it up to her," he joked.

"That's OK!" Kyoko suddenly felt enthusiastic. At least, that was something she was good at. "I can help with the cooking or the dish-washi-"

"I-I'm not talking about you doing chores just for that, Kyoko-chan," he chuckled. "You just have to be your cute and charming self."

Her cute and charming self? Kyoko wondered what that was.

Hikaru-san remained silent. Kyoko worriedly looked at him. Oh no! Maybe she made him angry because she asked him to chauffeur her around like a driver! "Hi-Hikaru-san?" she asked meekly. "Are you angry?"

"Huh?" Hikaru-san looked at her as he turned onto a small, narrow road filled with houses. "What?" Then he laughed. "No, I'm just thinking about how we're going to have to smuggle you in the house so you can change without my mom seeing how you're dressed right now."

"Eep!" Kyoko squeaked out. "You're right!"

They arrived a few minutes later and Kyoko stared out the windshield. Because Hikaru-san was an adult - even older than Ren, she always assumed that he lived alone in some high rise apartment. As it turned out, he still lived in the same home he grew up in, which kinda suited him.

They quietly slipped through the front door and sneaked up the stairs with her boots in her hands and slippers on her feet. For a moment, Kyoko felt really naughty - definitely what a bad girl like Setsuka would do. She had to suppress a giggle. Although come to think about it, Setsuka Heel would never go sneaking around with someone nice and wholesome like Hikaru-san. Not when she had her nii-san around.

She mentally purged the image from her head. She was no longer with Cain Heel. She turned around, and the job was done. She called up Hikaru-san for the purpose of changing to get home.

"Here you go, Kyoko-chan," Hikaru-san handed her a shirt and sweatpants after disappearing for a few moments into a room.

"Thank you," Kyoko answered gratefully. The clothes still had tags on them, so she handed them back. "Hikaru-san, I think you made a mistake. These are your new clothes. Old clothes would be fine."

"Nah," Hikaru shook his head as he led her to another part of the second floor. "Those are presents from sponsors when the guys and I did a CM for a sporting goods company. You can wear them."

"I-is that OK?"

"Of course it is," he chuckled. They reached a closed door and he reached for the handle. "Here's the bathroom," Hikaru-san said as he tried to turn the doorknob. It didn't open.

He jiggled it some more and someone from the other side said, "Go away, I'm getting ready for school!"

"We-well..." Hikaru-san let out a small laugh. "That's my little brother. Um... why don't you just get dressed in my room?"

"Um..." Kyoko said shyly. "I don't mind waiting."

"That'll take forever," Hikaru-san took her hand and led her back to his room.

Kyoko entered and took a moment to look over his room after Hikaru-san said that he would just be in the hallway before closing the door.

It was larger than she thought. Over all it was clean but had enough of a mess that it gave it personality. The only male bedrooms she'd been to were Ren's one and the one in the apartment she and Shotaro shared. Their shared place was larger than the traditional apartment but the bedroom was also the dining room and the living room. Ren's room was a lot larger than Hikaru-san's but sparse, and it said nothing about him. Hikaru-san's room had a large, unmade bed, a dresser littered with hair products, clothes sticking out of drawers, a few unopened presents scattered around the room which were probably from fans and a lot of pictures in frames or just tacked on a corkboard.

Kyoko looked at the pictures as she changed. It had everyone - family, friends from what looked to be high school, LME people, people he probably worked with, Bridge Rock and their manager, the people from Kimagure Rock. Then she was surprised to see her face. One of them was with the rest of the Ishibashi-onii-sans and another was the just the two of them sitting side-by-side during an outing Kimagure Rock had several months back.

Kyoko let out a touched smile as warmth spread through her. She didn't know that she warranted a frame and not just tack on the corkboard like his high school friends were. It made her feel a bit special.

As she pulled the drawstrings tight to fit it to her waist, her mobile phone rang. The number was unregistered.

"Good morning, Mogami-kun," the President greeted her with a serious tone.

"President Takarada," she greeted as she sank down on Hikaru-san's bed. "Good morning." She kept her voice low because Hikaru-san said that he was just going to be outside the room.

"Have you returned to Tokyo?" the President asked, his voice full of concern. "You're not still stranded at Odawara, are you?"

"No, sir," Kyoko shook her head. "I'm fine. I'm back in Tokyo."

"I just spoke to Ren," he said in a super low tone.

"I..." she let out a short humorless laugh. "I see. He's still on the train to Kyoto? I guess I should explain why Setsuka didn't go with her big brother."

"No, it's fine," he sighed. "Your job as Setsuka-chan should end today. That little trip to Kyoto was a side trip for you and Ren. Where are you? I'll have someone pick you up and bring you to the mansion."

"I'm at..." she hesitated. She was going to get into trouble because she let an outsider into the secret job, but now that she had made her bed, she had to lie in it. "I'm at Ishibashi Hikaru-san's home."

"Hikaru-kun?" The President asked in a surprised but not angry tone.

"I... I'm sorry," she explained urgently. "I really didn't know what to do or where to go. I couldn't contact you because you were probably talking to Ren at the time. I was panicking and was starting to get a lot of attention because of how I was dressed. So the first thing that came into my head was to call Hikaru-san and... well..." she finished lamely.

"You should have just gone straight here to the mansion, Mogami-kun," he sighed.

Kyoko gasped at the realization. "Yo-you're right," she answered feebly. "I didn't think that." Ugh... she scolded herself. She was definitely gonna be punished for this. "I'm sorry... I made the rash decision to call him because I thought it would be OK if it was Hikaru-san..."

"Why Hikaru-kun, though? I know you're friends because you co-star in Kimagure Rock but... He could tell the other boys..."

"Hikaru-san would never do that!" Kyoko exclaimed defensively. "He is a friend-" he said so himself "-and he has helped me many, many times when I was in trouble!" Like when she called him in a panic after seeing the Beagle. He got his manager to drive him to Fuji TV with the other onii-sans just to check up on her after she'd forgotten about him. "I am very confident that Hikaru-san will keep the secret. He never even asked. He just came when I called. I've never been disappointed by him. I can trust him completely!" She could totally be herself when she was around him. Granted, she did keep a lot of things from him, like things about her mother and Shotaro. She was actually quite sad about that fact because up until the time she said it to the President, she never realized how much she'd been taking his friendship for granted. The only person she told everything to besides Moko was Ren - and she always had to mind herself whenever she was in his company because she was so afraid that she would upset him. She silently promised to change the relationship between Hikaru-san and herself starting right now. Well, she wasn't going to open the topic, per se. She would just be more open around her senpai and friend.

The President didn't speak. Kyoko started to worry. Perhaps that wasn't a strong enough argument... No matter, she shook her head. She would take the consequences. Just to give back all the kindness Hikaru-san gave her for being there for her.

"That..." President Takarada finally spoke, "...was quite a speech, Mogami-kun."

"Eh?" Kyoko tilted her head, not understanding what he meant.

"Still..." he sighed again.

Kyoko really couldn't understand what he was getting at.

"Never mind," the President said. "I'll speak to you when we see each other. You're at Hikaru-kun's home, aren't you? I will pick you up after I get ready. There is something important I need to tell you. Don't worry, it doesn't need to be in the office. We can talk in the car while I take you home."

"Yes, sir," Kyoko accepted the reality of her situation. "I understand."

After hanging up, Kyoko stood, gathered the clothes and wrapped them all in Cain Heel's jacket. She felt kind of guilty about using the jacket when he was on a trip. Not that she didn't appreciate the coverage it gave her. She just needed a paperbag to put it in. She was sure that Hikaru-san had one.

Kyoko marched to the door, opened it, and sure enough found Hikaru-san standing outside. He smiled at her.

At least she knew that someone was glad to see her.

"Sorry I took a little long," she apologetically smiled. "The President called."

"Nah, it's OK," Hikaru-san smiled. "I just hope that you didn't get into much trouble." Then he gave her a once-over and said, "Great! They fit OK!"

The clothes were comfortable enough. The shirt was breezy and loose and the sweat pants had drawstrings so she could fit them to her waist, but they were still longer and a small bunch of the leftover fabric was hanging over her feet. Not that she could even complain. "That's because you and I are almost the same height," she cheerfully answered.

Hikaru-san's eyebrows furrowed and he let out a small laugh that sounded like he found it funny. "Yeah... I guess you're right..."

* * *

_7:20 AM_

Takarada Lory stared into oblivion as the tone buzzed in his ear, a while after the conversation with Mogami-kun.

He was really, really disappointed. He was so sure that putting Ren and Mogami-kun in each other's company would make them much closer to each other. Not that he was forcing the two to get together - to him, it doesn't matter who ended up with who as long as it was true love. He sympathized with Ren's pathetic state in winning over Mogami-kun so he created an opportunity where he could woo her and she will be forced to think of nothing but him.

She accomplished it alright. As Setsuka Heel. He couldn't decide if what was to blame was Ren's slowness or Mogami-kun's denseness.

Not that it was a total loss. In her hour of need, Lory discovered that there was someone she could turn to. Someone he never expected...

He knew that Hikaru-kun liked Mogami-kun. He had the discussion with the idol not long ago. Lory knew the two to be friends, but he never would have suspected that Hikaru-kun had managed to worm his way into Mogami-kun's mind... More than Ren anyway.

Still... it wasn't enough. If a man managed to break through her initial defenses but not get beyond that, it would still be impossible for Mogami-kun to appear in the Koga movie and act out the joys of love...

* * *

_7:30 AM_

Kyoko was amazed with the kind of life that Hikaru-san had. He lived such a normal life for someone who was one of the most popular idols in Japan. The home was a Japanese-style urban home in a normal neighborhood that was lively and lived in. Kyoko had to wonder how the house was never stalked by Hikaru-san's fans, who she witnessed more than once to be very enthusiastic. She never got to meet his father and little brother who had left for work and school, but Hikaru-san's mother was amazing...

She wasn't overly formal like Shotaro's mother nor was she outrageously glamorous like Ren's mother. And she definitely wasn't anything like her cold mother. She adored all three in their own ways, but Hikaru-san's mother was different. She was just like her: a normal Japanese woman.

After an awkward moment of her telling her that she was so scary as Mio and how she hasn't seen Box "R" yet, she commented on how adorable she was as Bo. Kyoko has never heard compliments about her performance as Bo - but that was because she always hid the fact. It was surprisingly nice to hear a compliment about something she did that didn't require her to be her usual scary characters. Kyoko felt an immediate affection towards her.

"Why don't you have breakfast with us?" she asked.

"No, I can't do that," Kyoko shook her head. "The President of LME is going to be picking me up."

"Don't worry about it, Kyoko-chan," Hikaru-san smiled at her as he led her to the dining table. "It's no trouble. Okaa-san made enough." He turned to his mother. "Right?"

"It's no bother, Kyoko-chan," his mother giggled as Kyoko settled into a chair and Hikaru-san sat on the one beside her. "Hikaru always has friends over so I'm quite used to feeding a lot. Although, this is the first time he ever brought home a girlfriend."

Hikaru-san suddenly choked on the miso soup he'd just drank. "Okaa~san!"

Kyoko blushed red. She would have never thought that anyone would mistake that. He was Ishibashi Hikaru! She was plain noodle!

"By the way," his mother looked at him as she sat down across them. "How did you manage to sneak her in last night? I didn't hear anything."

"Okaa-san~!" Hikaru-san raised his hands and covered his face in embarrassment.

"What? You're a grown man..." she said. "She's your girlfriend. Though, I do think it a little trite that you'd do something like this before introducing her to us. Are you sure you don't want to move into your own place yet? Your otou-san and I already said that we don't mind."

Kyoko felt like crawling under the table and dying. She was being mistaken for a girlfriend! That's not even considering the idea of sneaking into a respectable house in the dead of the night to... Well, it wasn't like she hadn't been thought of like that as Setsu, but it was irksome to be thought that by a proper Japanese woman! "I-It's not like that!" she waved her hands in denial. "I... I called up Hikaru-san this morning because I ran into some trouble and he picked me up."

"Oh dear," his mother looked at her worriedly. "What kind of trouble?"

"J-just something for work, okaa-san," Hikaru-san answered for her, earning a grateful smile from Kyoko.

* * *

_7:30 AM_

This was a waste of time, Sho straightened up and walked away from the Daruma-ya.

After coming home last night, Sho laid in bed thinking about what happened in the hotel.

He went to the New Canary Hotel, expecting Kyoko but found Pocchiri. He ran away from her and found some weird S&M girl who sounded like Kyouko with some murderous guy he was positive was Tsuruga. Neither recognized him or the names Kyoko or Tsuruga so he was left pondering over it the whole night. The point was, he wouldn't have gone to the hotel if it wasn't for that infernal pudding. Pudding which was really from Pocchiri. Something she wouldn't find out unless the only other person they had in common told her. That common person was Kyoko.

Without any sleep and a bad mood, he went to the Daruma-ya at five-thirty in the morning to catch Kyoko in case she came in for work. But it was already past seven. People were getting up and making their way to work or opening nearby shops.

Screw this, Sho scrapped his plan for a face-to-face confrontation with Kyoko. He'll find another way to see her - probably through Miruki or going to the Box "R" set. Then he had to deal with the unpleasant task of handling with Pocchiri. He was going to hear an earful from the president just because he'd get one from her.

He pulled out his phone to call for a cab, but changed his mind and called Pocchiri first. He didn't have anything until the afternoon and it was just soundcheck for his concert in the evening. He had to go back before Shoko-san gets up. Kyoko will have to pay for everything he went through, all the way from the time he started this fruitless chase to letting him follow her around like a puppy begging for favors.

"He-hello?" her sleepy voice answered.

"Pocchi?"

"Sho-chan!" Pocchiri's voice was suddenly wide awake.

"Look," Sho said as he stopped to face the road. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have run away from you like that-"

"No, Sho-chan!" Pocchiri cut him off. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I didn't mean to force you into the hotel like that. I just..."

Sho actually had no idea what she wanted to say and what the leading statement was going to. But she just let her voice trail off like that so he sighed. "Well, it's done. If you want, I could meet up with you for breakfast to make it up to you." This was the only way he could placate her enough. "Where are you?"

Just then, a taxi came into view and Sho hailed it.

"I'm still at the hotel," Pocchiri answered. "I paid for the room so I figured that I might as well sleep here. But you don't have to come over! You still have a concert tonight, don't you? You need to rest so you can keep your energy up later!"

"Mimori..." he sighed as he stepped in. "I'm on my way to meet you for breakfast so head for the breakfast buffet. I'll be there in about twenty minutes."

He heard a small squeal and shuffling to move about. Then she happily said, "Sho-chan! Twenty minutes won't be enough for me to get ready! Be here in thirty!"

* * *

_8:10 AM_

Breakfast was done. He escorted her out of the house when the President rang to say that he'd arrived. Hikaru-san was also due to be picked up any moment by his manager.

"Hikaru-san," Kyoko smiled widely as she gave him a low bow. "Thank you very much for everything you've done for me. I'll return the clothes to you at the Kimagure Rock shoot after I wash them."

"No need to be so formal, Kyoko-chan," Hikaru-san pulled her back upright. Kyoko looked at him, and he didn't remove his hands from her arms. "Like I said before, I'll be there for you whenever you're in trouble."

Kyoko tilted her head to the side. This was the first time Hikaru-san said that he will be there for her. Other times he said it, it usually had the other two onii-sans attached to the statement: we. Still, she was happy about it. "Please tell your mother thank you for the hospitality. I'll be sure to come back soon to repay her for the wonderful breakfast."

"She'd like that," Hikaru-san gave her a cute smile. "But I think the fish cakes are more than enough."

Even though she just met her, she adored his mother. She wanted to give her something in return for her hospitality - since the fish cakes weren't really for her. The one small box she gave her was meant for herself. "I'll still come back," she said. Then she quickly added, "If you don't mind, that is."

"Of course I don't," he answered. "Okaa-san was so happy about the fish cakes that she said she'll make ramen tonight. You can come if you want."

"Eh?" Kyoko looked at him surprise. "Isn't that an imposition?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, I already gave you so much trouble this morning and I'm still seeing you tomorrow night, right?"

Hikaru-san let out a small smile and answered, "Kyoko-chan, I like you. A lot."

"Eh?" She looked up at him in wonder. Did that mean that he wasn't only being nice to her because she was part of the Kimagure Rock main cast? She always thought he was a good friend, more than just a good friend, but very different from Moko-san.

"I don't mean like how Yuusei and Shin'ichi like you because you're the fourth unofficial member of Bridge Rock or you're like the little sister we didn't have," Hikaru-san answered, stepping forward and closer to her. "I mean that I really like you a lot."

Then Hikaru-san leaned forward and gave her a small kiss on the lips. Kyoko's eyes widened but before she could even think whether the kiss was intrusive or welcomed, he pulled back. Hikaru-san was looking at her shyly and his cheeks were a little red. Kyoko started feeling her own face heating up.

"Kyoko-chan," Hikaru-san said. "Would you go out with me?" Before she could say anything, he continued by saying, "I mean, would you consider dating me?"

Kyoko couldn't quite find her voice right away. She did like him. A lot. Then she felt it. The twinge in her heart that she felt last night in Odawara before she got off the train. She finally figured out what it was. It was an opening in her heart. Someone sweet enough would be able to enter. Had Hikaru-san been able to do it?

When she did find her voice, the only thing she could say was, "I'm already going out on a date with you tomorrow, Hikaru-san."

* * *

_Around the same time..._

Takarada Lory's eyes widened as though he wasn't sure what he was seeing. To make sure, he lowered the tinted car window. But to his disappointment, Hikaru-kun had already pulled back, and the two were just talking.

Then hooting came from behind him. He turned his head and spotted Yuusei-kun and Shin'ichi-kun with their heads stuck out the car window driven by their manager, Toyokawa-kun.

"Good morning, leader, Kyoko-chan," Shin'ichi-kun leered at the pair. "How shameless. In front of the gate so early in the morning."

Hikaru-kun immediately let go of Mogami-kun's arms, letting her jump back to a polite distance between them.

"I guess we should follow the leader's example and make up with our girlfriends so we have dates on White Day," Yuusei-kun grinned.

"Idiot," Shin'ichi-kun hit him on the head. "We don't have girlfriends."

"S-Stupid Shin'ichi and Yuusei!" Hikaru-kun was as red as a tomato before turning around to head back into the house.

"Ah, Hikaru-sa-!" Mogami-kun called out. Hikaru-kun turned to look at her and she said, "Can I call you about tonight?"

Hikaru-kun bit his lower lip and nodded. "Sure. I'll wait for your call." Then he turned around and ran back into the house to get his things.

Without looking at Toyokawa-kun's car with the two boys following her with their wide grins and gazes, Mogami-kun turned around and ran towards Lory and entered the car. Lory smiled wistfully at Mogami-kun's adorably red face.

"Good morning, Mogami-kun," Lory smiled at her.

"Good morning, President Takarada..." she lowered her head and refused to meet his eyes.

* * *

_8:15 AM_

Hikaru was standing in the foyer. It's been several minutes since he ran back inside the house to get his stuff. He was ready to go, but he knew he looked really lame. He knew he was blushing fiercely. The heat in his cheeks still radiated.

He couldn't believe that he just kissed Kyoko-chan. Out in the open. So early in the morning. With his mother probably in the window, in front of his friends and just in striking distance of the president of their company. He will never hear the end of it from any of them.

"So will I see Kyoko-chan later for dinner?" his mother asked when she passed by with a basket full of laundry in her hands.

Hikaru looked up at her and stuttered, "I-I'll let you know later."

Without further ado, he stepped out of the house to get away from her. The President's car was still parked in front of Toyokawa-san's car and the President gestured for him to come over.

"Hikaru-kun," the President said in a serious tone. "I want you to forget everything that happened earlier when you picked up Mogami-kun from Tokyo Station. I would really appreciate it if you do not discuss with your friends what happened."

Hikaru looked over at Kyoko-chan, but she quickly looked away when their eyes met. She looked cute when embarrassed. He turned to the President and gave him the answer he wanted, but there was no way in hell he would let himself forget about Kyoko-chan's gorgeous legs.

* * *

_8:18 AM_

The car finally drove off to take Mogami-kun home before he headed for the office. The poor thing spent the night in a station in Odawara, she needed a day off. They rode in silence and Lory would often catch Mogami-kun let out little smiles before catching herself and trying to straighten her face. Her cheeks remained pink though, which Lory thought to be adorable.

Lory relaxed back on the seat and enjoyed the rest of the ride. He initially wanted to pick her up to speak with her about the Koga movie. It was meant to be a romance about the joys of love and because Mogami-kun ran away from Ren - someone who can potentially give her the love she needed, he thought that Mogami-kun was not ready to act in it. But it looks like she can perform in the movie with Koga-kun. The small, embarrassed smile was so sweet that he felt that she was beginning to open up to the possibility that she can still recover her missing emotion. With Hikaru-kun.

What a twist, Lory thought. Ren... was simply too slow when it came to letting his feelings be known. Lory feared that Ren may never find another girl who had the strength Mogami-kun had. He might, but not for a very long, long time.

However...

That idiot Ren was just too damn slow! he thought, reveling at the love story that was unfolding before him. He was never one to discriminate a good developing love story when he saw one.

"Mogami-kun," Lory caught her attention from the preoccupation of staring out of the window.

"Sir?" Mogami-kun looked at him curiously.

"Are you too tired right now?" he smiled. "Sawara-kun called me last night to tell me that a copy of the contract for the Koga movie was faxed to his office."

"Eh?"

"Also," the President grinned. "We need to discuss some new terms for your part of being the LME family." She continued to look at him cluelessly and he continued, "It's not going to be a lot of changes, but you're now going to be entitled with some more things." She has accomplished acting out as Setsu and seemed to be slowly overcoming her weaknesses. She truly deserved it. Besides, it wasn't a secret in the entertainment world that Mogami-kun got the Koga movie and her popularity would explode because of it. Once she achieved that, it would be difficult if anyone else tried to tempt her away. "Don't worry. I'll have someone drop you off at home."

* * *

_3:30 PM_

Ren was sitting on the spot where he and Kyoko first met.

He really wanted to share the view with her, he thought as he stared out at the river and relaxed. It was the perfect day to be there. It could have only been more perfect had Kyoko been there with him.

He was really disappointed that she didn't take the trip with him. He wanted desperately to dissuade her when she said that she couldn't come along, but there was such panic in her eyes, Ren didn't feel it was right to press her. The fact that she was trying to get away was not because of the trip itself. It was because of him. He realized it when she claimed that she had something to do in Tokyo when she'd already said that she didn't. He wasn't going to fault her, it was a sign that he was hurrying things along and that she was uncomfortable with the pace. He should have gotten a clue when she said that she didn't want to learn everything about him after learning about Kuon Hizuri, but he got too eager after their kiss. So he let her go back on her own. It wasn't like he wasn't going to see her when he got back.

It was just a silly trip anyway. Totally unplanned and he didn't know why he was taking it. To Kyoto. With her. Tsuruga Ren wasn't designed to be an impulsive person. Cain was. Kuon too, which was what got him into so much trouble in the past. He had to tuck it away when he created the character of Tsuruga Ren.

He looked at the time. Still early. His train back was scheduled for five in the afternoon so he thought about making his way back and swinging by a shop he passed by earlier to pick up some cute little confectioneries and green tea for Kyoko. She liked sweet things and he really didn't have any more excuses to see her since their stint as Cain and Setsu was officially over.

At least now, he can start moving forward his relationship with her as friends. Don't be in a hurry, he scolded himself. He'd been patient a long time, he can stand to be patient a little more. Leading her in the right direction was the key.

Yup, Ren thought happily. She'll really like that.

* * *

_4:30 PM_

Kyoko placed all of the necessary paper work in the folder and smiled wistfully.

After being overwhelmed and finding out what the President meant by "not a lot of changes," Kyoko went back home to the Daruma-ya, which she was so happy to see because she missed the okami-san and the taisho. She took a long nap and woke up in the early afternoon. After catching up with the old couple, she excused herself and went to LME to work on the documents Sawara-san received for her the night before.

She just completed all the necessary document she would need to act in the Koga movie. All she needed to do was to submit them to the Talent Section and the female lead was officially hers. She was going to get a movie debut. Koga Hiromune-san was willing to gamble on the unknown who played heartless characters. For a romance. She will be able to act in more roles and experience so many things and the thought was so thrilling-  
Then a jolt came through her.

She just remembered something she didn't like. She started rubbing her forehead to erase the memory.

Acting out the joys of love. She had been joyfully in love before. Unfortunately, she'd been ignorantly in love at the same time. Her thoughts inevitably let out a montage of times when she was still with Shotaro, and it pissed her off. Now, she started worrying that she may not have what it took to act out the joys of love.

She will do this and she will accomplish it, she thought with determination. It's alright. Shooting won't start for a couple of months. She just wished that the inspiration of her joys of love weren't times when she was with Shotaro.

She had to find another avenue of when she felt joy in her heart that it could called love...

Well, there was the time she acted with Kuu-oton as Kuon Hizuri... Ah! she straightened up. Kuon... Ren... She has been blissfully happy playing the sister... she slowly thought. But it wasn't like they were a normal kind of brother and sister... she slowly came to the realization. After all, a couple of days ago, Cain Heel claimed that he loved Setsu and Setsu lo-

"What is that stupid blank face for?"

Kyoko was reeled back to reality and found Moko-san standing across from her with her hand on the doorknob,looking at her in annoyance.

"Moko-san!" she moved to stand up, but Moko-san cut her off. "That late reaction just doesn't cut it."

She pouted and took her seat. "I didn't know that you were going to pass by today so my guard was down."

"Excuses, excuses," Moko-san said as she laid her things on the table, let out an exhausted breath as she sat down across her and buried her face in her crossed forearms.

"I thought you had an early morning shoot," Kyoko asked. "When I have those, I just go straight home and sleep."

"This place was nearer to the location," Moko-san said as she raised her head. "What are you doing here? I thought you had a day off?"

"I needed to work on these," Kyoko tapped the small pile of paperwork in front of her. "I have two guest appearances and I need to get the paperwork in tomorrow afternoon. But I have Box 'R' tomorrow and I don't want to have to pass by because I might be late for our ice cream date tomorrow. And I really need to report to school on the day after that."

Moko-san peeked into the titles and asked, "What about this one?" She pointed at the psycho girl movie script. "Are you going to act in it? I heard from Matsushima-san that the director and Tsuruga-san asked you to be in it."

Kyoko was startled. "Tsuru...ga-san?"

"Yeah," Moko-san nodded. "Didn't you know? The shooting and release date have been pushed back a little on account of many of the actors' availability. I assumed that at least Tsuruga-san would have told you. Then again, you probably haven't seen much of him since Dark Moon ended. I haven't seen much of him either."

Kyoko barely heard her. Tsuruga-san... Ren wanted to act alongside her. He asked to have her as a co-star in a movie. Somehow, that gave her a little thrill. Only, it wasn't heightened because of the knowledge that he asked her to play a psycho girl. The role really was complex and interesting, but it just depleted any hopes that Ren saw her as anything but character actress. She could only assume her skill wasn't good enough yet. But, a small hope was starting to build her confidence again; at least he asked for her. Not in a dream role, but that didn't mean she couldn't act with him again in the future.

"Hello~?" Moko-san started waving her hand in front of her.

"Eh!" Kyoko looked at her. "Yeah, I-I am taking that role." She even worked on the paperwork first! There wasn't a reason why she shouldn't! It suited her schedule. It wasn't like she had any other commitments to work on to refuse it. Plus, she will get to work with Ren again! Also, Moko-san was going to be in it too! She quickly gathered her things and stood up. "Anyway, I have to bring this to Sawara-san so I can head out."

"OK," Moko-san nodded. "If you want, we can go out for ice cream today too."

A smile started to stretch across her face. "Alright!" she excitedly exclaimed. "We can do that!" Then the thought came. "But what about the calories, Moko-san? I don't want you to hate me because of that..."

"Do you want to or not?" she retorted.

Excitedly, Kyoko made her way to the Talent Section to submit all of her paperwork and to give him the box of fish cakes she picked up in Odawara for everyone to share. They discussed a few things about meetings and shoots for a little while before she excused herself and made her way out of the door.

And coming from another direction, hidden by tall filing cabinets and a mountain of files dumped over them, was Hikaru-san.

By instinct, she smiled and opened her mouth to greet him. Then she stopped herself as she remembered what he told her earlier that afternoon.

It wasn't completely an unpleasant memory. She'd always liked Hikaru-san and she always enjoyed his company whether it was just the two of them, whether it was with the other onii-sans or whether it was with anyone else, really. They always laugh and have fun even when they're talking about serious things like work and the backgrounds of Kimagure Rock's guests. He'd already proven himself to be there for her no matter what happened. If she went out with him, it would be kind of the same, wouldn't it?

She knew that she had to work on knowing how to act out the joys of love, but she also knew that she now wanted it for herself.

* * *

_4:50 PM_

Hikaru wasn't sure if he was glad to see Kyoko-chan so soon. Not with that look on her face anyway - unsure and uncomfortable.

"G-good afternoon, Hikaru-san," she bowed formally.

This was what he was afraid of... he thought wearily. Some of the office staff noticed because, despite being senpai and kouhai, the have an air of informality between them. He didn't want things to be weird between them.

She still hadn't called about dinner but he really didn't see it as a rejection. It was just the way she was - he knew that from working with her for a year. The tense atmosphere made him uneasy.

"Heya, Kyoko-chan!" he greeted as naturally as he could. "Heading out?"

"Ye-yeah..." she answered slowly.

This cannot be good, Hikaru thought as they stepped out of the Talent Section and into the hallway. They were both headed for the elevators so it was impossible to get away from each other.

"Hikaru-san," she said, suddenly stopping in her tracks.

"Ye-yeah, Kyoko-chan?" he asked as they stopped.

"About what we talked about earlier..." she kept her hands to herself and looked down at the floor.

"Yeah..." he softly said.

She took a deep breath. "Hika-" Then several people from the Talent Section went out of the door and started chatting animatedly. Kyoko-chan gasped and pulled him into a much more private part of the hallway. It was a secluded corner with glass windows that gave a view of the cityscape.

"Kyoko-chan," he looked down at her as she gasped out for breath. "I... It's OK," he said reassuringly. "You don't have to answer now. I didn't say that because I wanted to make you feel weird or anything. I only said that because I really like you, but if you're getting torn up about it, if you don't really like-"

"But I do like you, Hikaru-san," she countered. She looked up at him. "I really do. You have been a really good friend, and I really enjoy your company." She swallowed. "What I'm saying is..." She met his eyes and said, "There are a lot of things you still don't know about me. I will tell them to you now so..." She looked worried.

"Kyoko-chan..." Hikaru smiled sadly. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to tell me."

"Hikaru-san, if we're going to go out, you need to know everything about me..." her lower lip shook.

Hikaru smiled. "Why? Won't that ruin the mystery for both of us?"

"Huh?" she looked at him with a confused look.

He sighed. "Like I said, I like you a lot." He took her hands into his. "Isn't learning about each other part of the fun of going out?"

"B-but..." she countered. "If you know what my life is like..."

"Kyoko-chan, I'm not claiming to be the perfect guy here. There are a lot of things about me that you don't know about just as there are things about you that I don't know about. But I know you well enough and long enough to know that I like you and I want to go out with you, and I think you know me well enough to know if you like me that way or not. If there are things that happen along the way, wouldn't those just be things that will make us think about if we're really for each other or not? Things that will make us closer or make our relationship stronger?" Then he was feeling like he was being very serious so he chuckled. "I mean, if you know everything about me now, wouldn't you get bored with me in a few weeks' time because you never find out anything new about me anymore?"

"No," she answered with a small voice. "You might get bored with me though."

"Kyoko-chan," he said in a firm but gentle tone. "If I found you boring, I wouldn't have been asking you out every week after Kimagure Rock's live shoot for the past year or so. If you think I'd be chased off by anything about you, I wouldn't have liked you all this time."

Her eyes slowly widened at the statement. "You've been asking me out all this time?"

She really never realized it. "Yup," he smiled. "See? Isn't it nice to know something about someone bit by bit?"

Kyoko-chan continued to look at him with a stunned look until a slow smile wreathed her face.

"So, Kyoko-chan," Hikaru started stroking her hands with his thumbs. "Will you go out with me?"

Hikaru started feeling the warmth from her smile as she nodded. "Yes."

He let out a wide smile, leaned toward her and gave her a peck on the lips. He lifted his face and bit his lower lip at seeing the surprised expression on her face. "See?" he gently said. "If I didn't do that, I didn't know that you could blush that prettily."

* * *

_9:05 PM_

Ren stepped into the LME office and was greeted with a bow by the guard.

He came to the agency directly from Tokyo Station because his car was parked down at Level 2. In Kyoto, he felt better and refreshed, and even began contemplating what he wanted to do next. He got out of the Cain Heel disguise early on because he was just attracting too much attention.

Hoping that Kyoko was around, he headed straight for the Love Me Section office and, true enough, found her.

"Hello, Kyoko," he greeted her as soon as he knocked and entered the room.

"Ren!" she smiled brightly as she stood up and bowed. Ren saw that she was reading through a script with several more on the desk, which were meant for her. "Good evening."

"Here," Ren held out a paperbag to her. "I picked up something from Kyoto for you."

Her eyes went round at the label monogrammed on the paperbag. "That..." she hesitantly said, "really makes me feel weird now." She dug through her purse and pulled out a small box for him. "Here, fish cakes from Odawara. It's not as fancy as your souvenir for me, but they taste pretty good. The old couple I live with really liked it. I got you an extra small box. Just enough for your appetite."

Ren smiled at the quib. "Thank you," he accepted the box. At least, he still had excuses to see her. Kyoko looked inside the bag and pulled out "Green tea!" she exclaimed happily. "This is the really nice kind." Then she turned around and headed for the door. "Let me just brew some for us and we can share the wagashi."

Ren sat down on the chair and she was back quickly enough. She opened the container with the confectioneries and she cooed on how cute they were as they nibbled on some. "What are you doing out this late?" he asked. "You don't have work and you still have a Box 'R' tomorrow."

"I just came back from going out for ice cream with Kotonami-san to meet up with someone," she answered as she gingerly took a sip of her tea. She smiled. "This is really good! Thank you, Ren!"

They talked about what happened in their day. Ren was happy for her when she proudly told him that the President added on some stuff to things she was now entitled to. He tried to hint that he went to their spot in Kyoto, but she didn't get it. They both happily talked about the upcoming movie with Koga and she told him she was really excited about working with him on the psycho girl movie. Ren didn't understand what she meant at first, but saw the script lying on the table and figured it out.

Then a knock came on the ajar door and Kyoko let out a brighter smile. Ren turned around to see who and what made her smile so much brighter.

"I'm done, Kyoko-chan," Ishibashi Hikaru-san said. "Ready to go?" Then he noticed Ren and smiled, "Good evening, Tsuruga-kun."

"Ah, yes," Kyoko answered, suddenly finishing off her tea. "Please give me five minutes."

"I'll just wait for you by the elevators, OK?" Then he turned around and disappeared.

Kyoko moved to stand up to clear her things and the tea. Ren looked at her and said, "I thought your White Day thing with Ishibashi-san wasn't until tomorrow?"

"Eh?" Kyoko looked startled. Then she blushed as she placed the cover back on the box of confectioneries. "No, Um... The White Day thing with the guys is still on, but I'm going over to have dinner at Hikaru-san's house tonight." The corners of her mouth started to stretch upward as she said almost shyly, "Hi-Hikaru-san and I are going out."

"Since when?" Ren asked, looking very confused. Not a couple of days ago, she assured him that she wasn't dating the idol.

"Since..." she squirmed a little as she answered with a small smile. "Since this afternoon-"

"So suddenly?" he exclaimed.

"Suddenly?" Kyoko repeated, looking baffled by his question. "No, no," she shook her head. "It's not sudden at all. Hikaru-san and I have been friends for a very long time..." She looked at him for a while before continuing, "We've always been very fond of each other. Earlier, he told me that he liked me and asked me if I would consider going out with him..." She let her voice trail off for a moment before saying, "He has always been very kind and sweet towards me, and well... I guess I do like him."

She continued placing her things inside her purse and Ren stared at her in stunned silence. Then she looked at him as she made her way around the table and gave him a slight bow. "Well, thank you for the sweets and the tea, Ren. I'll be heading my way now-"

Ren quickly stood up and made a grab for her hand. "Wait-"

Kyoko jumped a little, turned to him. "What is it?"

"You say that you like him, but are you in love with him?" Ren asked, almost breathlessly as what she said finally hit.

"Eh?" she exclaimed. "Wha-"

Ren straightened both of them up and cornered her to the wall right beside the door. "Kyoko, I want you to be with me."

"Eh?" she blinked.

"We," he said, knowing he was nearing desperation, "have been through so much over the last couple of days. Playing BJ was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I know that I wouldn't have been able to get through any of it if you weren't by my side."

"What?"

"You're the person I want to be with," he huskily said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss on her lips. When he lifted his head, he looked into her eyes and said, "You can't say that you don't think the same way..." Then he lowered his head again, but Kyoko wedged her hands between them and pushed him away. The force was enough to knock Ren back a couple of steps.

"I am not Setsu, Ren!" She loudly declared. She huffed, her face flushed and her eyes wide in panic. "Part of me will always be, but I can't be Setsu all the time. I like that the two of us have become closer as senpai and kouhai. Maybe even friends! I know when you have so much fun in a role, you get sad because you want to keep playing that role again. I know, I feel the same way too! But there has got to be a line where you have to accept that the role is over!"

"What?" Ren breathed. "No..."

"Hikaru-san and I are going out now," she said firmly. "I like him a lot and maybe I am falling in love with him. I'm not going to throw away that possibility because I may be having hang-ups about a character I played."

"But, Kyoko, I'm in l-"

"I know we had fun and we got to know about each other more than most people. Playing Setsu has been a wonderful experience for me," she continued as she straightened herself up. "I really learned a lot from you. And that strengthened my resolve to work harder to play opposite you one day. I never learned that I had so many people who were so concerned about me. Your father, your mother, you, but part of it was Hikaru-san too!"

"They're not chara-"

But he never got to finish what he said. Ishibashi-san came running towards the open office door. "What happened?" he asked urgently. "I heard shouting."

Ren turned to Kyoko and saw her trying to calm herself down. When she looked normal enough, she turned to him and smiled, "No, Hikaru-san. We were just having a discussion about work." She adjusted the purse she was carrying and asked, "Shall we go?"

Ishibashi-san looked at her a little dubiously, but he smiled and nodded. "OK." He stepped back and let her go ahead, but before turning to follow her, he gave Ren a frank stare.

It wasn't at all menacing or even angry, but Ren knew what his stare meant: Kyoko was his. He shouldn't interfere.

Only when the clap of their shoes disappeared was Ren able to move again. He stepped out of the Love Me Section office and out to the elevator banks. The door was closing, and just before it did, he caught sight of Kyoko resting her head on Ishibashi-san's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her neck.

The doors clanged shut, leaving Ren to wonder how differently things could have been had he not let her go back to Tokyo on her own last night.

* * *

_11:30 PM_

Hikaru pulled his father's vehicle to the side of the road where Kyoko lived.

It was no wonder that Kyoko knew about the Daruma-ya. She lived very near it. They were late for dinner at his house, but they joined in just as everyone was finishing their ramen. His family lingered around the table while he and Kyoko-chan ate, asking her questions and such. Hikaru was glad that they liked her and Kyoko-chan was full of grace and charm. The one bad comment they had about her when they managed to pull him aside was that she was very formal, but their concerns where soothed when Kyoko mentioned later that she worked in a ryokan in Kyoto before coming to Tokyo.

"Well," she smiled at him as she placed her purse over her shoulder. "Thank you for dinner. I had so much fun." She moved to open the door as she said, "I'll be going ahead now. Please take care on your way home."

"Then, I'll walk you to your home," Hikaru smiled back.

"Oh!" she shook her head. "That's not necessary, Hikaru-san. It's just across the street. It's a well-lit place anyway."

"Kyoko-chan," he said firmly, "I'm your boyfriend. Now I know I can be a jerk of a boyfriend, but I prefer to do things properly."

Even under the dim street lightning, he could see that she blushed. "Thank you very much," she whispered.

Hikaru stepped out of the car and made his way around while Kyoko stood in wait for him. As he did, he started thinking how strange it was that she thanks him for everything. At first, he thought it was because she was the formal type. But this was just walking her to the door. A simple thing that a boyfriend would do.

As they walked, Hikaru's mind started wandering to what happened at the Love Me Section office. Kyoko-chan's voice was really loud in the near-empty floor. He didn't hear much of what she and Tsuruga-kun talked about and she didn't talk about it. On the other hand, he wasn't stupid enough to not know that Tsuruga-kun had a thing for her. It was rather obvious, really.

He stopped in his tracks as he realized the baptism of fire he had to go through. And they haven't even been a couple for a day! He knew going into this that because they were both in show business, they would encounter this kind of difficulty. He just never anticipated it to be of the Tsuruga Ren-kun variety. If he had a thing for Kyoko-chan, he may as well give up. Kyoko-chan looked up to Tsuruga-kun more than anything, because they're both actors. He was not the jealous type. Neither was Kyoko-chan the kind of woman swayed by suave guys, nor did Tsuruga-kun had a womanizing reputation...

"Hikaru-san?" Kyoko turned to him.

He looked at her and hesitated, "Kyoko-chan... do you think this is a good idea?" She looked confused so he added, "The two of us going out, I mean."

Her shoulders sagged and she frowned deeply. It was a scary kind of expression. "You're dumping me after a couple of hours?" she asked in a slurred tone.

Hikaru sighed. "I like you a lot, Kyoko-chan," he said. "My family really likes you too."

"But I'm not really what you expected me to be, am I?" she asked stiffly. This was a side Hikaru had never seen before. Well, he'd seen Dark Moon, but he'd never known she could be like this in real life. It was really scary. She sighed. "I guess I'm used to not being good enough for anyone-"

"Wait, wait!" Hikaru raised his hands. "You're getting the wrong idea, Kyoko-chan. It's just..."

"Just what?" she answered curtly.

Hikaru sighed. "I'm not Tsuruga Ren, Kyoko-chan," he answered. She broke out of her scary stupor and stared at him. "I'm not the greatest actor in Japan. I'm not a model. Sure, I've acted and modeled some things, but nothing at that level. I really like being a TV presenter, and I like being in Bridge Rock. If I get better and move up then good, but right now, I'm really very happy where I am. I know you love acting in dramas more than TV varieties..."

Suddenly, Kyoko was in front of him. She reached down and held his hands in hers. "Hikaru-san," she smiled. "If I wanted to be with Tsuruga Ren, I wouldn't be with you right now."

Hikaru looked at her. She was smiling into his eyes. He became drawn to it, moved in closer and kissed her softly on the lips. When he lifted his head, she was looking at him with wide eyes and a slight blush on her cheeks. Slowly, she let out a shy smile.

"Let's go," Hikaru took her hand in his. "It's late."

They walked side-by-side for a few more meters and stopped in front of the Daruma-ya. "Well, this is me," she said.

Hikaru stopped and stared at the sign for a few moments. He raised his finger to point at the door and slowly asked, "Kyoko, you mean... That scary man with the big knife is your father...?"

Kyoko-chan let out a laugh and pulled him inside. "Not exactly, Hikaru-kun..."

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Now that I probably cut my readership into half, I might as well explain things in case you haven't figured it out yet. I got bored writing the Ren ending. It was too much like an old fanfic I wrote. THAT IS NOT A GOOD THING. I thought, "With what I've done, I could make a funner ending with Sho or Hikaru."

- I laughed buloy's initial impressions that this was a harem. However, I enhanced Kyoko's encounters with the others to prevent things from looking shallow to the inevitable. I patterned the ending to an otome game, depending on Kyoko's decisions at Odawara Station if she'll join Ren to Kyoto after feeling the twinge in her heart. It would have been a shame if I didn't use other plausible alternatives just for one ending.

- I know some are hoping that I will continue on with the Sho ending, but no. I rushed events and made them extreme between Kyosho and Kyokaru because they're not meant to be continued. They're endings. Genuine ending,s because I wouldn't have subjected myself to torches and pitchforks for making Kyoren fans to read a Kyosho ending on Vain Day for a "but Ren still has a chance" kind of ending.

- Now why I posted in this order is simple: Sho's the most interesting to write. Admittedly, Hikaru's ended like a teen movie as intended. And posting the Ren ending first makes the Sho and Hikaru endings look like omake. And like I said, I got bored writing that. But now that I gave Ren two sad-BGM endings, I'm refreshed enough to give him his happy ending! And yes, I could have written this in notes on the previous chapter, but that would have ruined the impact of the plan. I'm only writing it now because it has become obvious.

- Next chapter: Kyoko's ending with Ren if she does not chicken out of going to Kyoto with him. And no, I will not publish a Kijima or a Reino ending. That will just be milking it.


	19. Chapter 19

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Fifteen C  
**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon and Jhiz for sound-boarding, beta-reading, editing, re-editing and for actually being game with this kind of ending! :D

**Dedications: **To leavesfallingup who specifically requested for this ending. I hope it passes your standards.

I don't own Skip Beat!

**This is still not the Ren ending. BACK! Back, I say!** _Anyway, it is UNpossible for you to read this story without noting that spoilers are only up to Act 169. I knew writing this that the story will eventually go out of context, but I guess I just didn't expect it to happen so soon. Oh well, on with the story...  
_

* * *

**T Minus 1 Day Before White Day (March 13)**

_5:52 AM_

Kyoko took a deep breath as she stepped off the bullet train.

It was six in the morning, and there were two more hours before Ren arrived in Kyoto.

She sadly wondered if he was angry at her for chickening out of the trip. He probably was because the trip cost a lot of money and she refused to continue with him.

Last night, during the stopover at Odawara, she started getting a funny feeling - a twinge in her heart. A premonition that something life-changing would happen should she continue on the trip to Kyoto with Ren. She was scared and intimidated because she knew that there was nothing she could have done to protect herself if something happened in that place. She barely had any money on her, and even if it was the place she was born and raised, there wasn't really anyone or anywhere she could run to for help. She was completely at Ren's mercy.

It was a matter of self-preservation, she convinced herself when she started remembering the disappointed look on Ren's face. No amount of abandoned puppies he could summon could ever overpower her instinct to save herself. She made up an explanation that there was something that she needed to accomplish in Tokyo so she had to go back even though she said the night before that there was none. He wanted to go back with her, but she managed to convince him that he should proceed to Kyoto because if he chose the place to go to, he must be unconsciously thinking there was something he wanted to do there.

So after a four-hour wait in Odawara Station for the first train bound for Tokyo with only his coat to protect her from the cold, she made her way back to Tokyo.

She looked around in confusion. This being the first time she's ever gotten off at Tokyo Station, she really didn't know what to do.

She pulled out her phone and looked for the President's number. One of his servants answered and said that he was busy talking to someone else on the other line so she promised to call back later and hung up. Then she scrolled down her phonebook. There really wasn't anyone she could talk to at this point. Moko-san didn't know about the Heel siblings, but there really wasn't anyone else she could trust. Then she remembered that she had an early morning shoot so there was no way she would bother answering her phone. Then after scrolling down, it stopped on the name Ishibashi Hikaru-san.

No, no, no, she shook her head. She couldn't. Even if Hikaru-san was someone with whom she was very comfortable discussing work, she couldn't call him. He didn't know about the Heel siblings, and it would be a bother. After another moment's hesitation, she clamped the phone shut.

Her only option right now was to go back to the hotel, risk running into Shotaro, and change clothes before she went back to the Daruma-ya. Even if the taisho knew about the Heel siblings, he showed particular objection to her clothes when they met and right now she was wearing the most indecent outfit Ten-san set aside for her. Out of respect, she could not go directly home dressed in this manner.

She started walking towards the station that ran through the city but faltered to a stop.

She was wearing embarrassing clothes that only Setsuka Heel would wear, and she was going back to the hotel. That meant that she still has to act as Setsuka Heel, she thought. Setsu would never be caught dead riding public transportation. She sighed, stepped out to the street and hailed the first taxi that passed.

"Where to, ma'am?" the driver asked.

"The New Cana-" Then she stopped. No, she couldn't go back there without Cain-nii-san. It would look weird. Well, she could always pretend not to notice any attention given to her by the hotel staff when she arrived. They're usually bowing and practically cowering because Cain-nii-san was always so scary. Also, she would eventually have to face President Takarada.

U-waaah... she was scared. He will surely be disappointed. The hotel or the Takarada mansion?

"Miss...?" the driver asked.

"Um..." She haltingly gave the address, and the driver went on his way.

She arrived in less than half an hour and was greeted by "Sebastian", who answered the doorbell at the gate of the long driveway.

"Good morning, Mogami-sama," he bowed. "The master is by the pool. Allow me to escort you..."

Kyoko walked behind the President's manservant and was led to the indoor pool area. The President was not swimming, but sitting on the couch set within the same area. He was tapping his mobile phone against his chin and turned his attention to her as she approached.

"Mogami-kun."

"Good morning, President Takarada," she bowed politely as the servant left them.

"Please take a seat," he gestured towards the chair right across him. "How have you been? Are you tired from being dragged around by Ren?"

"Ah, not really... Well, just a little," she admitted as she sank down on the chair. Then without thinking, she started saying, "I'm so sorry, President Takarada, for not going with Ren. The trip was just too sudden and impulsive... I couldn't get myself to-"

"No," he raised his hand to stop her. "I just finished speaking with Ren." He crossed his arms over his chest and said, "The trip was, as you said, sudden and impulsive. It was not part of your assignment to go there. The job was done, but I guessed Cain thought it was the best idea since the two of you ended up in a tight situation."

Kyoko was really glad that he understood, but there was something in the way that he said it that almost made Kyoko feel worse about it. Even if the job was done, she practically abandoned her post.

"Anyway," the President shifted from his seat. "I'm interested in what you learned through this experience." Kyoko looked at him curiously and he asked, "Mogami-kun, what do you think about Ren now?"

"Ren?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side. What a strange question, she thought. "Ren-san... He..." He was kind to her as a fellow actor and human being. He made her realize that there are times when she didn't need the Corn stone to make herself feel better because he was there. She never thought anyone else would care when she cried, but he'd broken through that lie. Living with him as Cain and Setsuka made her confused because she didn't know which was the real Ren or Kuon or Cain. He acted rather than talked which wasn't really good because it confused her very much. She couldn't tell the President that. Could she? "Ren-san is a great actor and a wonderful teacher. The experience with him has really helped me with my improvisation skills and really showed me what living in a role is like."

"Is that all?"

"Well," she added shyly, realizing that what she told him was so selfishly focused on her career. "Ren and I have become really close over the last few weeks. I feel like he could be someone I could be friends for life with."

"Friends?"

"Yes." She nodded. Suddenly, she felt a flood of relief overcome her. Now she knew the proper term to describe the relationship she had with Ren. It was a far cry from senpai and kouhai, but it was still the closest the two of them have ever gotten.

* * *

_6:30 AM_

"Mogami-kun..." Lory sighed as the car neared her neighborhood.

"Sir?" Mogami-kun looked up at him with large, doe eyes.

It was so full of innocence. Lory made the split-second decision and said, "I don't think it's a good idea to take on the movie with Koga Hiromune."

"What?" Her eyes widened and reflected complete shock. "Why not? B-but we already met with the movie director and Koga-san-!"

"For your movie debut," Lory cut her off, "I think it's better that you do the other one."

"The psycho girl?" Kyoko nearly shouted with disbelief. "Why? President Takarada, why are you saying this all of a sudden?"

Confusion and hurt was in the young actress' eyes. Lory chest tightened. He would really have preferred that she took on the romance. As a messenger of love, nothing would suit Love Me's Number One girl more, but this is the only thing he could do to show his love for the young actress as one of his children. "You should forget about acting in the movie with Koga Hiromune. There is no way that you can perform the joys of love."

"But-" she looked at him in protest.

"You will definitely experience difficulty with your acting." Lory cut her off. He looked her in the eye and frankly stated: "It will not be something that you will be able to hide using acting techniques." He looked at the young actress and finished with, "I don't think you're the type who will be content acting with anything less than your full potential."

He initially agreed to let her act with Koga-kun because she seemed to have been developing her lost emotions in the few weeks she'd been with Cain. He would never understand what happened that made Ren go too slow and Mogami-kun run away from him. But her answers were so technical, almost as though the experience wasn't personal, so it seemed that he'd been wrong.

Mogami-kun looked devastated. She was still a great actress. Lory felt the urge to console her. This lack of progress on her maturity should not be a lack of progress in her career. After all, she had accomplished her role as Setsuka Heel. "Like I said, you can still act in the other movie. It's a very good movie with a great director, a strong script and an excellent cast."

"I... I guess," she hesitantly answered.

Lory studied her face. She was miserable about the decision. He was trying to see if there was any hint that she'd overcome her struggles of the heart, but he couldn't see it. She didn't even move to protest or contradict what he said like Ren did when he told him to withdraw from Dark Moon because he wouldn't have been able to act out a Katsuki in love. As the car stopped in front of the street that led to her home, Lory decided that she simply was not ready to perform in the Koga movie.

* * *

_1:30 PM_

After an hour or so of tossing and turning on her bed, Kyoko stood up and bounded down the stairs. The Daruma-ya had closed their lunch service and the taisho and the okami-san were having their midday meal.

"Come join us, Kyoko-chan," the okami-san smiled.

Kyoko gratefully sat in the vacant seat on the table and the taisho stood up and took a bowl out of the shelf and placed in noodles, condiments, soup, vegetables and other things before returning and setting it in front of her.

"The fish cakes you brought back were delicious," the okami-san gushed as she took one with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth.

"I really didn't know how they taste," Kyoko admitted sheepishly. "But I was told by the shop keeper that they're of good quality." It was the only place that was open at Odawara station before she boarded the train back to Tokyo.

"It's good," the taisho commented.

"Anyway," the okami-san turned to her. "Why are you up so early? You came in mid-morning so we were thought you wouldn't be up until mid-afternoon or something. What's the matter? Are you getting stressed because exams are coming up?"

"Not really," Kyoko sighed. "I did get to do some studying done while I was working on location. I can also do small cram sessions in between shoots since they let me take the special exam with the rest of the people in the Performance Arts division." She started picking at some noodles. "Something happened at work and I'm kind of upset about it."

The taisho sharply turned to her.

"Well," the okami-san smiled. "I'm sure that you're going to find some way around it. You always have... Remember when you were having problems with that charming school girl character of yours?"

"It's not like there's anything I can do about it anymore," Kyoko said with a depressed sigh. "I lost the role I was offered. President Takarada said I wasn't ready for the role."

"Oh my," the okami-san gently raised her fingers to her mouth. "That's too bad..."

"And you gave up just like that?" the taisho suddenly interjected.

Kyoko turned to him in surprise. The taisho rarely said anything. The most she'd ever heard from him was several evenings ago when he was scolding her for not calling home for three days.

He turned to her. "Remember your pathetic self when you failed to get into LME?" he asked sternly. "You cried for an entire night and didn't go back for a week. But you went back anyway, because you really wanted it. If you don't fight for what you want with everything you've got, how will you ever get it?"

Kyoko stared at him for several minutes and remembered the feeling of hopelessness and then shivered with revulsion. She didn't want to be like that again! She still-

"Don't you still have dreams to fulfill?" the taisho read her thoughts, earning Kyoko's grateful smile.

* * *

_3:00 PM_

"Hello?" Sawara Takenori answered the phone.

"Sawara-san," the chief of security chuckled. "I was informed Love Me Number One entered the building five minutes ago. I just thought you would like to know."

"Ah, thank you," Takenori answered. It wasn't like he was hiding from Mogami-kun. But after being informed by the President that she will be withdrawing from the Koga movie, Takenori knew she was going to haunt him again. He wasn't in the mood for that right now. So, he stacked up his paperwork and announced that it was time for his coffee break.

The door opened as he headed for it and he jumped back when her scary smiling self popped up and greeted him, "Sawara-san!"

Damn it! Takenori flinched. He hadn't moved quickly enough but he recovered quickly from his attempt. "Good afternoon, Mogami-kun..." he greeted as he staggered back to his desk after his failed attempt to get away. Oddly enough, as Mogami-kun stood in front of his desk, a smile was plastered on her face. She also wasn't wearing the Love Me Uniform.

"I just got back from Odawara," she dug into a paperbag she was carrying.

Odawara? he thought wryly. Wasn't she supposed to be with Cain Heel? They were scheduled to have checked out at noon.

"Here!" she smiled and held out a small box of, from what he read from the label, fish cakes. "Souvenirs from Odawara. I'm sorry I didn't get the nicer ones from the shops. I only got this at the station. I was kinda in a hurry to catch the train. But I was told that these are very good ones. Please share them with everyone."

"Th-Thank you, Mogami-kun," he said as he took the box. "How kind of you."

"Also..." Mogami-kun looked at him, her eyes serious. "Sawara-san, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Takenori looked at her, knowing that this is the dreaded moment he was waiting for.

Kyoko leaned forward and in a low voice explained her request. Takenori's eyes widened. He looked at her and saw steely determination in her eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

Kyoko nodded. "If you feel that you can back me up on this, then I leave it in your hands."

Takenori really couldn't figure out this girl. She can be gloomy, scary, happy, determined and smart. No matter how he put it, he really couldn't get himself to leave her alone or refuse to back her up when she was asking for something like this. Besides, he was kind of outraged when President Takarada told him that he was pulling her out of the Koga movie. The role was the fulfillment of Mogami-kun's wish because it meant exposure for her to other kinds of roles. "Come with me," Takenori stood up and walked around his table. "We'll talk to the President."

With that, he was rewarded with one of Mogami-kun's happy smiles.

President Takarada didn't have any appointments when they arrived and they were able to get in without much trouble. When they relayed what they needed to say, the President looked over at Mogami-kun with amazement.

"Mogami-kun..." the President blinked. "You're so much like Ren."

"Eh?" Kyoko exclaimed, looking flustered and confused. "What did I-? Why?"

"But," he sighed, "it is extremely premature to let you prove yourself like this. You are still a fresh talent so expectations for you are still small. If you're unable to accomplish it, you might delay production and your reputation will be damaged. Casting is currently on-going for Koga's movie. Of course because you and Koga were chosen to be leads in the movie, a cast that will complement the image of you and Koga being together because the movie is highly stylized. If you fail at this, they're going to have to look for a new leading lady, and they might also have to do recasting in some other parts."

"I- I understand, President Takarada," Kyoko stuttered. "But we won't know until we give it a shot, right?" Then she bit her lower lip. "I still have several projects I can work on, but this is an opportunity I can't pass up..." She hesitated. "I think," she added softly, "this may become my opportunity to regain the missing emotion in my heart. By facing it head-on, I mean."

Takenori was impressed by the speech. He knew that movie was going to be good - no, better than good for Mogami-kun's image and her overall popularity. Though, the thought of a grown-up Mogami-kun was kinda of strange. But at least she was truly fighting for what she believed in. She was a very good actress and the Koga movie will do wonders for her career. The other movie with Ren was also a good thing should she choose to accept the role. At least if she did both, it will show her versatility and make her into a bigger star.

"Mogami-kun," the President asked in a straightforward manner. "Do you think you can start growing up just like that?"

"I can't say I'm ready," she sighed. "Even I'm not sure if I can pull it off."

Takenori stiffened and gaped at her. She's an idiot! Why does she keep on answering things honestly? If she was going to fight for the role, why couldn't she just say whatever the President wanted to hear so she can move on?

"But..." she continued, "if I don't start now, when else can I do it?"

The President studied her. Takenori knew that this was a tactic that he used to measure people up, to see if they're going to back down. However, Mogami-kun was the type who would never let go of an idea once she gets it. He knew that she wasn't going to back down.

"Alright," the President relented. "I will give you the opportunity to do so. I will tell the production company that it is my decision to hold you in the acting so it wouldn't hurt your reputation for backing out too much."

Mogami-kun let out a happy smiled and bowed in her seat. "Thank you-"

"But," he cut her off. President Takarada looked at her in a straightforward manner. "I will not give you the chance to embarrass yourself in front of the cast. Shooting won't start until June and that is far too long for you to prove yourself especially if you're just going to fail." He raised a finger. "I'm giving you one month to prepare." Kyoko's face suddenly fell. "In a private acting test, prove to me that you will be capable of acting out the joys of love. I may invite Koga-kun to act alongside you and the director to observe. If we don't like what we see, we will be pulling you out of the movie."

* * *

_3:45 PM_

Now that she said it, she didn't know if she could pull it off. She really didn't know what to do...

Acting out the joys of love. She had been joyfully in love before. Unfortunately, she'd been ignorantly in love at the same time. Her thoughts inevitably let out a montage of times when she was still with Shotaro, and it pissed her off. Now, she started worrying that she may not have what it took to act out the joys of love.

She will do this and she will accomplish it, she thought with determination. It's alright. Shooting won't start for a couple of months. She just wished that the inspiration of her joys of love weren't times when she was with Shotaro.

She had to find another avenue of when she felt joy in her heart that it could called love...

She just remembered something she didn't like. She started rubbing her forehead to erase the memory.

She supposed she could act it out by using Setsu minus the bad personality, but that will only get her so far. Setsu was in a weird relationship with her brother. The role for the Koga movie was a normal kind of love.

She sighed as she set the documents needed for her other roles down and started filling them in. She kept feeling distracted by her current problem though and paused. If only she had someone to ask. Otherwise, she may have to resort to what Moko-san does, like wire-tapping a couple and following them around to get what it was like.

No, she shook her head. She was the one who wanted this so she should be able to pull it off. She had a month to prove that she could act out the joys of love! That seemed like forever, but she knew that still wouldn't be enough time to overcome her problem.

Then again, she could always ask Ren.

Ren! She quickly moved to grab her cellphone from her purse. If anyone could tell her what she can do to act out the feeling, it had to be Ren! He was able to act out Katsuki when-

Then she stopped. Katsuki was tormented by a forbidden love. Ren said so himself, being in love with someone he shouldn't... Also, he told her as Bo that he had never been in love before. Considering he doesn't appear to be dating anyone, he obviously never made a move on that high school girl he was in love with, the only girl he'd ever been in love with. His love life was in far worse shape than hers!

Ugh... she buried her face in her arms. It seemed, she realized, that there are just some things that the great Tsuruga Ren cannot do.

"Chiori-cha-!" an assistant from the Acting Section popped his head in the door, spotted her and withdrew. "Ah, Kyoko-chan... Sorry, is Chiori-chan around?"

Kyoko stood up and bowed. "Amamiya-san is helping set up the conference room for the Bridge Rock meeting at four," Kyoko answered. "I don't think she'll be back for another thirty minutes or so."

"Ugh..." the assistant let out a disappointed look. "I need someone to scurry over to Fuji TV to take this to Kamio-san's manager and all the messengers are out."

"I can take that." Kyoko volunteered. Well, it wasn't like she really wanted to, but President Takarada had already scolded the girls because they didn't actively seek out tasks. Now that she's practically hanging by a thread with the President because she negotiated with the Koga role, she cannot afford to test any more of his patience with her.

"Are you sure?" the assistant asked. "Isn't it supposed to be your day-off? You're not even in your Love Me uniform."

"No," she smiled. "I have a pass for Fuji TV anyway so it wouldn't be a problem."

"Really?" he brightened up. He stepped inside the office and handed her the envelope. "Thanks a lot, Kyoko-chan. I owe you a stamp for this!"

"It's no problem," Kyoko answered solicitously as she took the envelope. She listened for additional instructions - the envelope was to be delivered at Studio 2 of Fuji TV where Kamio-san will be shooting until 5:00 in the afternoon. It contained urgent documents for a TV movie she will be appearing in so it needed to be delivered to her manager before she moved onto her next job.

After he left, Kyoko gathered her things and stuffed them in her purse. She can complete the documents later tonight and submit them tomorrow after the Box "R" shoot before meeting up with Moko-san.

* * *

_4:30 PM_

Kyoko arrived at Studio 2 of Fuji TV and approached a production assistant to ask for Kamio-san or her manager's whereabouts. She was pointed in the right direction and thanked for the prompt delivery. She was happy that she got a 100-point stamp for it; it would probably be the high point of her day.

"OK," a familiar voice called out. "Bye, kids! See you tomorrow!"

"Eeeeh!" Complaints and whines echoed through the set. Kyoko turned her head and saw several of them looking at Kijima-san, devastated that he had his things with him while his manager stood beside him and was carrying some other stuff.

"Kijima-san! You promised you'll play with us some more..." one of the children whined.

That's right, Kyoko remembered. In the short time that Dark Moon required child actors to play a young Katsuki, his brother, Mizuki, Mio and Misao, Kijima-san became really popular with the children because he would let them beat him up when they were playing. The children never came up to her, but then again, they were scared of Mio and her scar make-up. He must, she thought observantly, really like children. She didn't know that he was acting in a drama with so many children in the cast.

"Don't worry, I'll be back early tomorrow," Kijima-san smiled at them with a wave. "I just need to head out because I still have another shoot to go to. We can play then." One of the smaller children was still clinging to his leg when he turned around and spotted her. "Kyoko-chan!" he squeaked out.

Kyoko was surprised he even noticed her. He did say that he wanted to see the beautiful and mature version, but she was in plain mode right now.

"Kijima-san," the child on his leg pouted. "You're leaving early just because you have a date? And it's lame that she has to be the one to pick you up."

"Hey, don't get smart with me," Kijima-san looked down at his leg. "And don't ruin your costume. The director will scold you if they have to press your outfit again."

"O...K..." the little boy pouted as he let go of his leg. "We'll get to play again tomorrow, right?"

"Sure," Kijima-san nodded.

"Let's go?" Kijima-san's manager asked.

Kijima-san nodded. He turned to her and asked, "Wanna walk out with us, Kyoko-chan?"

"Uh, sure..." Kyoko nodded. She followed the two men out. They were talking about his schedule, but Kyoko still wasn't listening. She was still thinking about what to do about her problem.

They reached the end of the row of studios and his manager waved. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. Bright and early, right?"

"Sure," Kijima-san nodded, raising a hand to signal his farewell. "Take care."

His manager walked away and Kyoko turned to him. "I thought you were heading for another job?" she asked. It seemed weird that his manager wasn't there with him.

"Eh?" Kijima-san grinned at her. "That was just an excuse." Then he bent over and clutched his stomach. "A guy can only take so many punches from hyperactive children at one time," he groaned. He looked at her and smiled. "We were playing hero games again. Of course, I was the bad guy and three of the boys really took it out on me because they needed to save the little girl."

"Oh..." Kyoko's shoulder relaxed. That did seemed reasonable. As much as he liked children, he's also an actor so he needed to make sure to maintain his body to be in the best shape possible for any kind of work.

"What brought you here?" Then he grinned jokingly. "Did you come to see me?"

Kyoko gave him a deadpan stare. Why would she see him? She wasn't the one who went on a personal crusade for a weird reason like seeing her as her beautiful and mature self. "No," she answered. "I came here to run an errand for my agency and deliver some things for Kamio Kimiko-san."

Kijima-san looked surprised. "You're serious? Your agency really asks you, an actress-"

"Talent," she corrected.

"Whatever," he continued. "They asked you to run office errands?"

"Well," she shrugged sheepishly. "My standing in my agency is kind of unique."

"Eh...?" he said, but didn't continue to ask. They started walking again and Kyoko noticed that they were headed for the parking lot. "Anyway," he stretched his arms. "I've been up since four in the morning so some relaxation time is overdue." Then he turned to her and said, "Let me drop you off wherever you're headed. Even if it's just the train station, it's still going to be a long walk from here for an actress like you."

"No need for that, Kijima-san," Kyoko refused. "Thank you anyway. Besides, that kid might have been right and you may really have a date tonight."

"Actually I don't," he answered good-naturedly.

Kyoko just stared at him for a second. He said it so nonchalantly. He was an obvious flirt, but he did like children and he was the one who saved her when Shotaro tried to drag her off a couple of days ago. Because of the reputation he had as someone who liked girls, it seemed kind of strange that he doesn't have a date every night. But Kyoko knew that he was a pretty OK guy.

A flirt? the thought suddenly came into Kyoko's head. "Um... Kijima-san?"

He turned to her and asked, "What is it?"

"Can I ask you a question?" she shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.

* * *

_5:00 PM_

"Have I ever been in love before?" Hidehito repeated the question again after Kyoko-chan said it.

They were now seated at the cafeteria of Fuji TV. While they were walking to the cafeteria, Kyoko-chan made a long introductory statement before getting to her question. From what he could gather, she was going to be appearing in a movie where she has to play a girl who is happily in love, and she was having problems with it and that everything is in theory so far. Since he was a senpai from Dark Moon, a popular actor at that, maybe he could be of some kind of help in terms of acting.

"Yes," Kyoko-chan said as she opened the bottle of tea she'd purchased for their talk. "Like I said, it's for a role." She looked up at him and let out a meek laugh. "You know I've done several roles so far but they're as far away from romance as can be..."

"OK, I get it," Hidehito cut her off, nodding. "And the answer is yes. I have been in love before. Many, many times." She started staring at him curiously and he defensively added, "Isn't it normal for someone my age to have been in love before? No one ever gets it right the first time!"

"Well..." she said as she set the tea bottle down. "I always kinda thought that it was your face, not your age..."

"Anyway," he sighed. "Isn't it also normal that someone your age would have been in love too? I mean... in the last two weeks, I've seen you with Ishibashi Hikaru-san, Fuwa Sho, Tsuruga-kun- Remember the other day at your drama's set where you also had the two other Ishibashis, that guy from that v-kei band and Koga Hiromu..." Then he paused as he saw something dark cloud over her face. "Kyoko-chan..." he hesitantly asked. "Could it be that you've never been in love before?"

"Eh?" she asked in surprise. "Of course I have!" Then her face started to cloud again as she practically spat out, "It's just a time I would rather forget, so I can't really use that."

Hidehito was agog. He'd seen her with all those... Fuwa Sho and Tsuruga-kun were included in the list for crying out loud! How she could not have fallen in love with any of them? As far as he was concerned, apart from the two Ishibashis, everyone seemed to be utterly taken with her. They exerted so much effort just to see her. It was no wonder Tsuruga-kun's manager had no idea who he was talking about when he referred to Kyoko-chan as Tsuruga-kun's girlfriend!

Well, he might as well admit that he was attracted to her too. He wouldn't have been pursuing her if he hadn't, even though that was just to see the beautiful and mature version. Not that he didn't prefer the beautiful and mature version, but still...

"Well, it is Koga..." he thoughtfully said. He could understand the pressure. Acting in a romance with Koga could make or break her career. Well, she already succeeded in acting alongside Tsuruga-kun, who was number one, but it was a supporting role and as a villain. This was tricky... He looked at her for several seconds.

"So explain it to me please!" Kyoko-chan asked almost pleadingly. "I'm sure that because you have been in love before, you would have been able to make the girl you loved happy. I just want to know how they acted. Do they giggle a lot - I mean, I've seen girls at my school and they giggle at everything so I still don't know."

Hidehito pursed his lips. He'd seen Kyoko-chan act. She was a lot like Tsuruga-kun. She won't be able to pull it off unless she felt it, reading about them can only get them so far. This is what made method actors like them kind of annoying, he thought. "It's not something I can explain, Kyoko-chan," he shook his head. "For one thing, I'm a guy. I can't really know what the girl is feeling on the other side. Don't you have a girl friend who can explain it to you?" Then his thoughts came to the other day when he met someone who wore the same pink monstrosity that he'd seen Kyoko-chan wear once or twice. "What about that tall girl with the long hair. She wears that same pink thing you usually wear when you get to the Dark Moon set. I can't..." he paused, trying to remember. He usually never had trouble remembering pretty girls. "Kotonami... was it? She's part of the cast of that drama Uesugi Hio-kun is in."

"Ah... Moko-san." she said with a faraway look on her face. "I don't think so. She'd rather eat good food than go out with guys."

"Hah!" Hidehito hung his head in defeat. There was no way he would be able to get a breakthrough with her. Just what kind of life did she have before. Because she seemed very normal, she looked like someone who grew up with normal circumstance who had the same kinds of interests kids her age had.

"Eh?" she looked flustered and bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry for being difficult, Kijima-san. I don't mean to be an inconvenience or anything."

"No," Hidehito raised his hand. "You wouldn't ask if you didn't need to know." He could always think that she was just looking for an excuse to talk to him, but she has already bluntly and nearly cruelly said that she wasn't. "Kyoko-chan..." he exasperatedly, resting his chin on his hand. "Has it ever crossed your mind that you can't learn something like this by asking questions?"

"Eh?" she looked flustered.

"The best way that you can know exactly what you're doing is to experience it for yourself," Hidehito continued. "Why don't you just try going out on a date with someone?"

"But that's impossible!" Kyoko-chan lurched forward and looked panicked. "There is no one I could go out on a date with! I don't exactly have guys falling in line to ask me to go out with them!"

Hidehito's chin slipped off his hand but he caught himself. He recovered and looked at her. She doesn't have guys lining up to ask her out? What the hell did he witness in the last two weeks? She... Hidehito realized. She really was just a kid! Even he had been chasing after her! Then there was Fuwa Sho, Tsuruga Ren, Ishibashi Hikaru, Koga Hiromune, that weirdo musician... She'd shot them all down? Apparently he was the only one left with an invitation. As a man who always made sure that all of his desires are fulfilled, he straightened up and said, "OK, Kyoko-chan, I'm going to ask you out."

"Huh?" she looked at him a confused look. "Why?"

He let out a little sound of frustration. "Kyoko-chan, have you ever thought that you simply weren't ready to fall in love?"

"I am not ready to fall in love," Kyoko-chan countered. "But, this is completely different."

"Then if you're willing to make yourself learn, at least think about it," he instructed. "Or make yourself open to the possibility that you want to spend time with someone. Even if it's someone you don't really have the slightest interest in. If you don't hate the person, you should at least say yes."

"Oh!" her large expressive eyes blinked at him. "Then I accept! If only so I can learn more about it."

Hidehito smiled ruefully to himself. This was the first time ever that he asked out someone who had less enthusiasm than he did. So, he turned to her and said, "Well, now that you've accepted, you have to make yourself relax and enjoy the date."

* * *

_6:15 PM_

Kyoko's eyes went wide as saucers as she and Kijima-san entered the restaurant.

According to him, it was a very popular restaurant, though Kyoko was sure she'd never heard of it before today. It was high-class from what she could see of the decor. The interior was Western so she knew that she's not going to get beef bowls or ramen from this place. The patrons inside looked nothing like the people she was used to having around. They were dressed in designer clothes and had a different air about them. Kyoko felt very out of place.

"Kijima-san," she said in a low voice as she tried to catch up with him. "I- I feel kinda underdressed." Even Kijima-san was wearing something better. She was sure they were designer. The tasteful sundress and knit jacket she was wearing weren't exactly wearing something bargain basement, but it still felt like rags compared to everyone else.

"Well, they didn't block you at the entrance so I'm sure it's OK," he answered.

Once they were seated, Kyoko opened the menu while the server recited the specials for the evening. Kyoko opened the menu, and she almost lurched in her seat. She knew that there was no way that a 4-oz. steak should cost this much! The specials weren't even listed.

"I'll just have the fish special," Kijima-san nodded at the server. Then he turned to her and asked, "What about you, Kyoko-chan?"

"I-I will just have vegetable soup, please," Kyoko sheepishly said. Even the price of the soup offended her, but she knew that if she was going to learn something from Kijima-san, she needed to play his game. It wasn't like she didn't have the money, but it was being put aside for more practical things - especially since the new school year was starting soon.

"Eh..." he looked at her in wonder. He looked down at his own copy of the menu and said, "She'll have the spaghetti bolognese."

"Ah..." she whimpered helplessly. "Kijima-san..."

"What's the matter?" he asked. "You don't like pasta?"

"I like it enough," she reasoned. "I just-"

"Prefer the steak?"

"No!" she shook her head.

"Want to go with seafood," he guessed.

She shook her head. She felt so distressed. Because she was the one who asked for his help, she was the one who was obligated to pay for dinner. With Kijima-san, it was a token of thanks so he could order whatever he wanted. For her, she wanted to keep the cost at a minimum.

"Dieting?" he tilted his head to the side.

"Yes!" she nodded profusely, thankful that he was the one who supplied her with a reason. "I'm trying to maintain my figure for playing Natsu. You wouldn't believe the kind of junk food I have to eat for the show, so I'm pretty much eating as healthy as I can when I'm off of the set."

"OK then," he said. He turned to the server and said, "She'll have vegetable soup, a tossed salad with a lot of greens, and a small tenderloin steak." He pinched his fingers to indicate the size. "Just enough for someone like her."

"Yes, sir," the server bowed.

"Don't look at me like that," he said as she gave him a glare. "You remind me of Mio. Creeps me out. That's a pretty healthy meal, especially for someone like you."

"We-well..." She couldn't really argue with the kind of meal he'd chosen. But still, it was rather obvious that he didn't understand her situation.

"Besides," he sighed, "a date is usually an opportunity for a guy to show his good side. The point of a date is enjoying the company of the person that you are with. You don't need to feel conscious about people looking at you here. This restaurant has a very good reputation for keeping their clientele private. It's one of their appeals. Besides, if you are on a date, your attention has to be on the person that you're with because you're trying to figure out if that person is someone you want to be with. Really..." he sighed again. He looked like he was getting slightly angry. "You make me feel like an abductor with the way you've been protesting on the way and how you're trying to squirm your way out of here. On the off-chance you're thinking about the cost, I'll foot the bill because I'm the one who invited you here anyway."

Kyoko squirmed in her seat. The money thing seem a little insignificant now. It somehow didn't feel right... she thought. Kijima-san was trying to help her as much as he could. Even if he didn't have to and all she did was ask him a question, he took the free time he could have used for himself to help her out. Well, he was an expert in this kind of thing. Now she felt kind of bad that she'd been resisting the efforts he'd been making until now.

For all of his effort, she should be a much better date, she thought. Then again, Kijima-san wouldn't want to go out with her plain self. He'd be happier with someone like the beautiful and mature girl he'd been chasing after in Natsu.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Mm?" Kijima-san looked at her. "No, no... Sorry too. I didn't mean to blow up on you. The truth is, I'm not used to dealing with girls like you."

"Eh?"

"Whatever," he sighed. Then he smiled. "Then, shall we start over?"

"Um..." She looked at him. "I need to go to the restroom for a while."

* * *

_6:30 PM_

Takarada Lory dried his hands and exited the bathroom.

He got out of the office late for his White Day date with Ten. It was still the 13th, but she was flying off in the morning for a fashion show abroad. He'd had a long day anyway. He was in that business dinner all night before with Matsushima- and Sawara-kun, and when he came home, he had to deal with Ren, and then Mogami-kun.

However, it seemed like the day has turned much more impressive than he'd previously thought. He believed that Mogami-kun would easily give up when he said that she couldn't play in the Koga movie, but she didn't. He was much more impressed with her when she negotiated to be given the chance to prove she can do the role. Something she wouldn't have had to go through had she continued on to Kyoto with Cain Heel. The thought of the reckless abandon of running away with the one you loved was too romantic. Not that he didn't have faith in his favorite Love Me girl's abilities, but she would really have to astonish and surprise him to prove it.

He stepped out of the bathroom and walked the long hallway back to the main dining hall. As he walked, the door to the ladies' room opened and a familiar voice greeted him, "Ah, good evening, President Takarada."

Lory stared in astonishment as he saw the same young girl he met that afternoon, in the same clothes that she wore to the meeting, but her hair had been tamed and her face made up. "Mo-Mogami-kun?"

The girl looked at him and gave him a smile with her dewy lips. "Yes, sir?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Dinner," she answered coyly.

As they walked back to the dining area, he kept turning to her. He wanted to know what she was doing with such a mature look in such a sweet girl fashion. He knew she didn't normally look like this. She would never run around with make-up on or even keep her hair tamed at work. When compared to the unusually fresh face and stylishly-disheveled hair she had, it was as though she was here on a special occasion.

"Are you here with someone?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," she answered softly.

"I see," he nodded. "And just who are you with?"

"Ah," she answered as they stepped into the main dining area. "Kijima Hidehito-san."

Kijima? His jaw nearly dropped. Naoyuki from Dark Moon? The guy who has been declaring to the world that he wanted to see a beautiful and mature version of Mogami-kun? That Kijima? When did he...? "We-well, this is certainly a surprise," he commented.

"I'm a bit surprised myself, President Takarada," she let out a small laugh. "Well then," she bowed formally. "I can't keep him waiting. And I am sure that you don't want to keep the person you're having dinner with waiting either." She stood upright and said, "It was very good to see you, sir. I will see you at the office."

"Oh," Lory glanced at the table where Ten was sitting, looking very impatient. "I will see you tomorrow, Mogami-kun..."

"Have a good evening, sir," she said as she turned around and made her way to a cozy little nook where Kijima Hidehito-san was sitting. He watched as she said something. He looked up at her in surprise, and his whole face softened with delight and pleasure at seeing her. The shock was almost too much for Lory to bear. He slowly made his way back to their table as he watched the pretty girl talk and laugh animatedly with the actor. They both seemed to be having so much fun. He found his way back to his table and sank down on the chair.

"What is it, darling?" Ten asked.

Was this the reason why Mogami-kun backed out of going to Kyoto with Ren? Because she had a date? Was this why she was so confident that she can act out the joys of love for that Koga movie? Because she was in love? Her face was lit up by happiness, and she was listening and looking at the actor as he talked. She would giggle every once in a while and answer something back that made the actor laugh - almost loudly.

"Darling?"

What happened with Ren? he wondered. He was going to be crushed. Then again, he'd had her for more than two weeks all to himself. He didn't exert enough effort to show her how he felt about it. If he never told her how he felt, she wouldn't have been able to think of him in that light. To think that an outsider who knew nothing about her situation and circumstances managed get her to go out with him... it was simply incredible.

Then he let out a laugh. It was no wonder she was feeling confident about being able to act out the joys of love.

* * *

_9:05 PM_

"I had a lot of fun," Kyoko smiled as they walked towards Kijima-san's parked car.

"I'm glad you did," he said. "I had a good time too."

Once Kyoko took Kijima-san's scolding seriously about what a date was supposed to be like, things turned out for the better. She fixed herself up in a way that Kijima-san liked - a beautiful and mature version. Of course, the full effect was impossible because she was in her plain noodle clothes and the Princess Rosa was at home resting, so she had to make do with what she had in her make-up kit. After she came back, she became much more attentive and made herself more receptive to what Kijima-san was doing and saying. It made her observation skills much sharper. She really didn't know how to react to many of things that he said and did, but he didn't seem to mind.

Still, she wasn't sure what to make of the date... It was no different from the time she spent with Cain Heel. They would eat and talk animatedly about whatever came into mind. The date with Kijima-san didn't make her feel any closer to him or anything like that.

"Kijima-san," she bowed. "Thank you very much for the dinner. I really had fun and I really appreciate what you've done."

"Don't mention it," Kijima-san smiled as she raised her head up. He tipped his head to his car and said, "I'll drive you home."

Kyoko was considering refusing but Kijima-san was already leading her to the passenger side of the car.

He was kinda pushy, she thought as she watched him go around the car to get to the driver's side. Well, she sighed as she set her purse down by her side. It wasn't like she wasn't used to pushy men. Hadn't she spent the last two weeks with Cain-nii-san who was pushiness personified to the extreme, only excusable because Setsu will forgive anything he did?

"Now then," Kijima-san smiled as he slipped into his seat. "Where to next?"

"Eh?" There's still more to do? Kyoko thought in confusion. "Um... A-aren't you tired yet, Kijima-san? You said you've been up since four and looking forward to some relaxation before I accosted you with my problem." Actually, she was pretty tired too. She'd been up since the day before and she barely got any sleep when she got back to the Daruma-ya in the morning.

"Well, yeah..." Kijima-san tilted his head to the side. "I'm really not in my best form today."

Kyoko looked at him strangely. He already had a long day at work, played with four hyperactive children and still found time to teach her. After he got mad at her and she changed her attitude about the whole date thing, he became cheerful, happy, and an interesting person to talk to, not to mention the wealth of experience and knowledge he gave her for her dilemma with the Koga movie. If that wasn't his best form, what would he be like if he was?

"Still..." she said instead. She bowed her head. "Thank you very much for everything that you've done today. I will never forget your kindness."

"Well, thank you for the nice date," he said as he leaned closer to her. Reflexively, Kyoko pulled her head back as he advanced. Belatedly, she realized that he was going to kiss her. Kijima-san opened his eyes and asked, "What?"

"Um..." she bit her lower lip and looked away. "Nothing... I just..."

She promised Ren back on Valentine's Day that she wouldn't let anyone kiss her until the day she died! Well, it was really more for herself rather than for him, considering that the previous experience she had left her hair white.

"Well, too bad," Kijima-san slightly pulled back and sighed. "This is how I usually end dates, but whatever."

How he ends dates? "You... you mean that we're still acting like a dating couple?" she asked.

"Well, we're still on the date..." Kijima-san said. "A date usually ends when I bring home a girl to her place or mine or if we just went our own separate ways in the end."

"Oh!" She exhaled with relief. If that was the case, then it's completely acceptable! She didn't think they were still in the middle of a scene. Because she was in the character of a young girl out on her first date, it wouldn't exactly be her. She knew that she promised never to get into these kinds of things again, but this was acting so it was different! Actor's Rule of the Heart. She kissed Cain Heel under similar circumstances - of course, that was just a product of being too carried away by the scene. If she was going to be a real actress and prove to the President that she was capable of acting out the role with Koga-san, it was something she needed to do. In any case, she had to accept the inevitable anyway. The director said that there were going to be several kiss scenes. "Then..."

She straightened up and leaned forward. It seemed too aggressive and too forward. She was too shy to actually be the one to initiate the kiss, so she stopped halfway. Her cheeks were blushing furiously and Kijima-san gave her a sideways glance. Oh no... she thought with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She ruined the mood. She was gonna be NG-ed so badly for this.

But the NG never came. Instead, it was Kijima-san's head as he leaned forward and kissed her on the lips with a smirk. Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't sure if it was welcomed or intrusive... She did anticipate it, but Kijima-san's lips were nothing like she'd expected. They were soft and gentle, but firm and demanding. It wasn't as unpleasant as she thought it would be.

Though the initial contact surprised her, his lips started gently moving over her mouth, brushing them gently, then firmly, as though he was trying to coax her into kissing him back. If she was on a date with someone she liked, which Kijima-san was supposed to be, she should respond as though he was someone she liked. Slowly, she closed her eyes, parted her lips and felt his warm breath mingle with hers.

Then Kijima-san's breath became hotter against hers as he slowly and gently nudged her back against her seat. His lips brushed much more urgently over hers and Kyoko moved to match his pace. She felt the intensity of the kiss much stronger with her eyes closed and silently cataloged the techniques he used that made her heart speed up. His lips slanted over hers in dizzying, unpredicted directions, leaving her nearly gasping while she tried to match him without bumping noses. Occasionally she got an incredible shock from his teeth nipping her bottom lip, and she instinctively gripped his lapels.

She wasn't sure how long they'd been kissing, but it felt like her oxygen supply was running out despite the heavy breathing through her nose. It wasn't a completely unpleasant feeling, but... "Ki-Kijima...-san," she whispered against his mouth, pulling back slightly when she felt his tongue line her lips. She knew that her entire face was red, and she was a little short of breath.

Kijima-san withdrew slightly, but kept his face close to hers. Kyoko opened her eyes and found him staring into her eyes. "Kyoko-chan," he whispered, quite raggedly. "I really like you a lot." Then he moved forward to urgently kiss her again. When she was breathless to the point of beginning to gasp, his mouth moved to her cheek before it slowly slid down and brushed along her jaw line. Occasionally he gave her a playful nip in between the kisses, in a way she was beginning to see as characteristic of him. He was playful but earnest, easy-going but determined, and she fought the urge to giggle at his antics.

Kyoko's head was spinning. She'd never been kissed like this - neither while acting nor as herself! Should she answer what he said? she wondered. It was supposed to be an exercise on the whole dating thing. Then Kijima-san lifted his head and move to kiss her beneath the ear while she was still thinking. He lingered there for a while and it felt as though he was sucking on the flesh. It didn't hurt much, but she was very conscious about it because he lingered there for more than just a few minutes. Then came the alarming feel of his hand, which was resting on her knee as it slowly moved upward. Her hand slapped reflexively against it and tried to push it back down.

She felt a slight panic and he chuckled as his hand settled just above her knee, squeezing lightly and stroking her inner thigh with his thumb. Thankfully, the phone in her purse which she'd set beside her earlier started to vibrate strongly. Due to the close proximity, her entire body vibrated, causing the two of them to jolt away from each other in shock.

"E-excuse me," she breathed out as she placed a hand to his cheek to slightly push him away. She was somewhat thankful for the reprieve because she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. Even Ren as Cain never went that far. Was that even supposed to be part of a date? She dug through her purse and retrieved her cell phone. She looked at the caller ID and found Ren's name.

* * *

_9:05 PM_

Ren stepped into the LME office and was greeted with a bow by the guard.

He came to the agency directly from Tokyo Station because his car was parked down at Level 2. In Kyoto, he felt better and refreshed, and even began contemplating what he wanted to do next. He got out of the Cain Heel disguise early on because he was just attracting too much attention.

Hoping that Kyoko was around, he headed straight for the Love Me Section office and found it empty.

Ren let out a sigh and smiled. She was probably tired with the way they ended up traveling all night and they hardly had any sleep before that. She probably spent the whole day sleeping. But it was night time and still reasonably early. Maybe he can give her a call to see if he could drop by her home to give her the green tea and confectioneries he got for her or maybe she can come over his place. This was actually just an excuse he could use to see her again, but it was one of his better ones.

He smiled wryly to himself. It seemed that he was still not cured from the separation anxiety he had as Cain Heel and his need to be around Setsu. Not that he was expecting to see Setsu, but...

He took his phone from his pocket and scrolled down the address book and found her number. He started walking towards the elevators and waved at Bridge Rock as they greeted him.

As always, she answered him after several rings, which is why he never dropped a call after three rings when trying to contact her.

"Hello? This is Mogami," she greeted a little breathlessly.

"Hey there, Kyoko," he greeted. "I just came back from Kyoto. Are you at home right now? There's something I wanna drop off for you..."

* * *

_9:10 PM_

Hidehito leaned back towards his side of the car and rested his head on his arms against the steering wheel as he watched Kyoko-chan answer the phone call.

"Ah, Ren!" she greeted. "Good evening. No, I'm not at home right now, but I'm on my way there now."

What? Hidehito thought disbelievingly when she paused as she waited for 'Ren' to answer. He thought that at the rate that they were going, things would end up at his apartment or something. Then, a thought came to mind. Ren? As in Tsuruga?

Hidehito straightened up as she said, "Yes, where am I right now? About thirty minutes away or so? Depending on the traffic of course. You're still at LME, right?"

LME? So it was that Ren! Tsuruga-kun was still calling her and she was still receptive to answering his every beck and call? What the...? Just what was going on?

"Then," she answered cheerfully. "We'll be there around roughly the same time! I'll see you then. Bye!" She hung up the phone and turned to him. "I'm sorry, Kijima-san. I need to head home now. Tsuruga-san is passing by my place to drop off something, and I need to be there to meet him."

"Um... Eh..." Hidehito stuttered in confusion. "What? I mean... uh, OK." The mood for a leisurely evening was already lost anyway. Not that he was giving up on Kyoko-chan. Her appearance constantly changed depending on the roles she played. Sometimes she acted like a kid and she was utterly oblivious to any kind of obvious advances made by any guy. This made him curious. More curious than anything. In fact, it made him even more curious than the first time he'd heard that she was capable of being a beauty that upped her maturity level by two. And he was a guy who never let his desires go undenied. "What's the address?"

She told him and he was familiar with the place. He was there the other evening with the Bridge Rock guys. This was a good chance...

"If you live in that area, there's a really nice place to take you there," he said. "It has really good fish and I think the chicken isn't half bad. Maybe you've heard of it. It's called the Daruma-ya."

"The Daru...ma-ya?" she said slowly. Then she burst out laughing.

"What?"

"I live there!" she answered. "Well, I rent a room there. Didn't you know? I'm from Kyoto. My profile on almost every press release about me says that."

"Oh," he said for lack of anything else to say. That was good. At least that scary old man who was the chef of the place wasn't his father. "Then, where do you propose we go the next time?"

"Next time?" She sobered up from her mirth. "Kijima-san, we already went out today. Doesn't this mean lesson completed?"

"No," he shook his head. "You can't learn what dating is like with just one date."

"Oh," she looked at him with curious eyes. "Then... what about on the 17th?" she offered. "I won't have enough time to really go out because exams are coming up though."

"The 17th is fine," Hidehito smiled. At least she wasn't backing away. "Though, I will be coming from work then so the date would be starting a little later than you'd expect. I'll need your number."

"OK then," she answered.

They rode in silence and Hidehito started thinking of ways to make the date with Kyoko-chan impressive enough that she falls into his arms. He was all worked up by the time he parked his car on the side of the road across from where the Daruma-ya was located.

"Thank you very much, Kijima-san," she smiled and bowed her head. "I really appreciate everything you did for me today."

"My pleasure, Kyoko-chan," he said as he leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on the lips again. To his delight and surprise, Kyoko-chan actually kissed him back too. "I'll see you on the 17th?"

"Yes," she nodded. She stepped out of the car and crossed the street. Once she was on the well-lit walkway, Hidehito started the car again and drove off, counting down the days until their next date.

* * *

_9:45 PM_

Ren smiled at Kyoko as he sat at a table in the corner while she moved around the Daruma-ya's kitchen.

He'd arrived a little earlier than her, so he waited outside because the restaurant was still packed with customers. Kyoko arrived a few minutes later and slipped them in the back entrance. He greeted the okami-san and the taisho properly. The okami-san smiled and greeted him back cheerfully, while the taisho looked at him in suspicion and turned back to his work.

Once they were settled, Kyoko showed her happiness with the confectioneries and the green tea he got for her. She happily strutted off to the stove to heat up a kettle of water. While he waited, he opened the box of confectioneries for them to share and contented himself with watching her.

She was back quickly enough and sat down across him. She took a bite of the wagashi and gushed about how good it was. Then she pushed a lock of hair back and tucked it behind her ear. Her hand lingered just at the side of her neck like it bothered her or something, and she absently fought the urge to scratch at it.

Ren was taking a sip of his tea when it caught his attention. "What is that?" he pointed.

"Huh?" She put her hand down and looked behind her. "What?"

"No," he said, intently staring at the red mark on her skin. "That! There's something on your neck, just beneath your ear..."

"Huh?" She raised a hand to touch the side of her neck. "Right here?"

"No, no," Ren shook his head. "The other side... You just touched it." He leaned in closer and his eyes widened and his face paled as he recognized what the red spot was. "Is that a hickey?"

Kyoko gasped and clapped both hands over her neck as her eyes widened and she bit her lip guiltily. She tried a nervous smile. "What's a hickey?"

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- I know I said that writing a Kijima ending would be milking it, but if it was LFU who requested for it, how could one refuse? So, you can put the blame on him. ;D LOL love ya, leaves. Besides, this fanfic started with Kijima it might as well end with Kijima... in this chapter anyway.

- Sorry, it's not the Ren ending like I promised. Why? I was writing a very patient and gentle Ren when the Act 172 raws came out and I was kinda put off writing him as the patient and gentle man that loves Kyoko. Besides, at the rate this fanfic is going, might as well go all out with the out of contextness.

- Next chapter! Seriously, REALLY the Ren ending. It will be out within the week because I seriously want to finish this fic.___  
_


	20. Chapter 20

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Chapter Fifteen D  
**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon and Jhiz for sound-boarding, beta-reading, editing, re-editing, adding, subtracting and enhancing so many stuff. You two are awesome as always. Also leavesfallingup for version 1 pre-publishing reading.

**Dedications: **To Spherrow because she claims that I owe her fluff.

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**T Minus 1 Day Before White Day (March 13)**

_5:52 AM_

Ren was jolted awake.

He felt quite disoriented about the weird dreams he'd been having all night.

He was still a little confused about where he was and why he fell asleep sitting down. He turned his head to the side and smiled at the sight of Kyoko's sleeping form as she sat on the reclined seat, facing him, snuggled tight under his coat which she used as a blanket. He gently ran a knuckle against her cheek until a faint smile stretched on her face.

Another jolt came from his pocket and he jumped slightly. His alarm... he thought, finally understanding what the jolt that woke him up was as he pulled the vibrating phone out of his pocket. It wasn't the alarm; the time showed that it was much too early for that. It was a phone call.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Cain?"

"Boss," Ren straightened up from his chair. "One second." He looked around and found several people awake as they saw to their needs. He stood up and moved past Kyoko, careful not to disturb her. He headed for the lavatory which had privacy and decently good reception. "Okay, go ahead, sir."

"What happened?" he asked with concern. "My secretary told me you called last night, saying you didn't want to call me from the party. Silly boy, you could have asked her to put you through."

"Well, nothing's wrong now," Ren answered, cracking his neck as the effects of sleeping on a small, cramped chair set in. They were definitely taking first class when they head back later, he decided. He didn't care if the trip was much shorter and more expensive than this one, they would, without fail, be taking first class back. "We got into a sticky situation last night but we found a way out of it."

"Well?" the President asked. "Where are you two? I'll send a car over. Don't tell me that you let your precious little sister sleep out in the streets."

"Of course not!" he answered vehemently. "I would never let something like that happen!" Last night might have been a desperate situation, but he was the big brother. He always took care of Setsu and that was the reason she adored him.

The President sighed. "So? Where...?"

"I'm not going to tell you."

"What?"

"Setsu and I ran away," he declared. Let him try to figure that out. "We're not going to tell you where we are. The job is done so we're free to do what we please." Of course, that was all big talk, which Cain can do, but he and Kyoko were celebrities with responsibilities and commitments to fulfill. Plus, he was talking to the president of their company. "Don't worry. Neither of us have anything scheduled today. We'll be back tomorrow, bright and early."

"Oh-ho..." the President let out a sardonic laugh. "Are you and Setsu eloping? Has the string that's tying your sense of reason finally snapped?"

"I am not that flexible!" Ren answered with defensiveness. His sense of reason was still very much intact.

"Fine," the President sighed resignedly. "I trust your judgment. You two don't have work today, so do as you please. But be cautious! The movie's due next month and the hype has been good. People may recognize Cain Heel if he walked down the street because his personality is so... unique. And I expect the two of you to be back tomorrow. If I find Mogami-kun broken in an empty shell sort of way, you'll have hell to pay for!"

"I'd never do something remotely close to what you're thinking!" Ren nearly roared. Just because Kyoko has the ability to make him lose control doesn't mean he can't curb it. Besides, because of her personality, he learned like a puppy being trained, she won't let anything bad happen to herself.

"Ah, Mogami-kun..."

"Yes?" he answered. "You need to speak to her? She's still sleeping. I can wake her up if you want."

"No..." the President answered thoughtfully. Then with a mischievous tone, he said, "I can just ask her what happened later. She's always much more willing to answer with honesty compared to you."

Ren frowned, just plain exasperated with him. "Good bye, Boss," he said.

He hung up the call and made the most of his time in the lavatory. He relieved himself, washed up the best he could and fixed his hair. He didn't have a toothbrush on him so he popped about three breath mints he had in his pocket in his mouth and declared himself decent. He made his way back to his chair and spotted Kyoko waking up. Her eyelashes were fluttering with a small smile on her face before they shot open and she bolted upright at the sight of the seat next to her empty. Ren was shocked to see her so worried and uneasy. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her lower lip was quivering.

He walked back to their seats with concern and as she spotted him, her face softened into relief.

"I thought you left," she said.

"How?" he asked incredulously. "By jumping off the train?" The train had been going nonstop since the stopover at Odawara.

"You could have done that," she muttered as she adjusted her seat upright.

She was referencing one of the stunts he did for the movie. "I'm not stupid enough to jump off a moving train." Besides, he wasn't the one who looked like he wanted to run away during the stopover in Odawara. She didn't say as much, but he could tell it all from the worried questions she was throwing at him throughout the stopover.

"I thought..." Then she hesitated.

"You thought what?"

Kyoko refused to meet his eyes. "Maybe you changed your mind about this whole thing."

"And leave you in a train on its way to Kyoto all by yourself?" he asked disbelievingly. "This is my idea. No one's heartless enough to leave you behind just like that."

She cringed, but hid it quickly enough that Ren wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been looking at her. Then Ren finally understood why she was fussing when she woke up. To her, there were people who were that heartless, he thought. Starting from her vicious mother to that moron Fuwa.

Not wanting to ruin the atmosphere by bringing such a sore topic up, he smiled and pushed the pack of breath mints towards her and said, "Why don't you go freshen up, then we can have breakfast? We'll be arriving in two hours. We'll get some fresh clothes when we get to Kyoto."

"A toothbrush and some toothpaste would be nice too," she murmured.

"That's part of the plan," he chuckled.

"Why Kyoto anyway?" she stretched her long legs without realizing that she was wearing next to nothing under his jacket and Ren indulged in an appreciative gaze. He almost missed answering the question.

"Impulse," Ren finally said. They didn't have many options last night and it was the only place that came to mind when he was looking through the ticket booth. The place wasn't foreign to them since she was from there and he'd been on enough family vacations there as a child and shoots as an actor.

"You really need to work on that, nii-san," she answered as Setsu. "It's one of the worst places to go to, especially when we're trying to be inconspicuous. We'll really stand out in Kyoto."

"Well..." Ren would think of something. She didn't need to be the one to worry about that since he was the one who dragged her into this. "Why don't you just go freshen up first? It's not nice to talk to anyone with dragon breath so early in the morning," he added a joke for good measure. It wasn't really dragon breath, but he and Kyoko didn't exactly practice good hygiene before going to sleep.

She slapped both hands over her mouth and a dark blush covered her face. Ren thought it looked cute. "Nii-san, you stupid..." she said through her hands as she ran off and disappeared into the lavatory.

* * *

_8:10 AM_

Setsu stepped out of the train and stretched. She'd been sitting for almost nine hours, so it felt great to move again.

"Stay close, Setsu," Cain-nii-san instructed. They made their way to the ticket booth to reserve seats for their return trip on the 6:22 PM train which will arrive at around 8:45 PM. She would have wanted to take an earlier train, but Ren argued that arriving in Tokyo earlier would be hard for them because of the traffic and the risk of being spotted by people.

Poor guy, she thought as she watched his stiff form march towards the ticket booth. The seats were too small for someone of his built and size. She doubted he was the type to be used to regular class anything so she couldn't really say no when he said that he intended to buy first class seats back. At least she didn't have to worry about the money - for transportation anyway.

Last night, during the stop over in Odawara, Kyoko started having second thoughts about the trip. It was too risky, too impulsive and too weird to be traveling with a man. Not that they had work today since they were given the day off, but approaching Odawara, she started getting a funny feeling - a twinge in her heart. A premonition that something life-changing would happen should she continue on the trip to Kyoto with Ren. She was scared because she knew that there was nothing she could do to protect herself if something happened in this place.

But she made her decision to come anyway. She already got on the train; she might as well see it through. Besides, she really liked the role of Setsuka Heel. Somehow being able to continue to play the character and be with Cain-nii-san was what motivated her to stay. And she would be able to play it if she had Cain by her side.

Now that she had decided to go, they had an argument over breakfast about who will pay for what.

Cain-nii-san said that he will pay for everything, but Setsu has already told him about spending on unnecessary things.

Nii-san argued that he was also spending on himself too so Setsu had no right to complain about spending solely on her. She could think of it as a White Day present because, as a loving sister, she definitely got him something last Valentine's Day.

Setsu argued that they came from a country that didn't celebrate White Day.

Cain stubbornly countered by stressing they're half-Japanese so they should.

Setsu stubbornly agreed to take the train ticket but everything else would have to be split down the middle. Since they came from another country, the rules of Valentine's Day was a little different from Japan so Cain would have given her something too and she could at least pay half for their leisure trip as her White Day present to him.

Her brother then said that he wanted to go driving later.

Fine, Setsu agreed after considering car rental. He could pay for that too. But everything else had to be 50/50. If she ran out of funds, she will put it in as debt. No amount of abandoned puppies he could summon would overcome her indignation over taking his money anymore.

It actually brought Kyoko little comfort and a lot of exhaustion conducting an internal battle with hoards of little Cain puppies. She had petty cash from the President - which she couldn't touch because this wasn't work-related, a little personal pocket money and her ATM card. She should be safe enough, but she was still nervous because her hedonistic older brother and Tsuruga Ren have expensive tastes that bordered on impracticality. Kyoto was a touristy place so it's not exactly cheap. The new school year was also coming up in a few weeks so her budget was kind of tight.

"Setsu," nii-san called out to her, tickets in hand. Setsu ran up to him and he said, "Don't wander off like that."

She grew up in Kyoto, and Kuu-oton was from Kyoto which meant he must have taken Kuon and okaa-san on a vacation here at least once. At least, he'd been on a shoot here. Then she remembered that they were playing Cain and Setsu, strangers to Kyoto. Tourists. "Sorry, nii-san," she clung to his arm and smiled. "Now what about that toothbrush and toothpaste you promised?"

She didn't have to ask him twice. There went to a little kiosk, got their purchases and headed for the restrooms.

It was too extravagant for a thank you for wine jelly, she thought as she drank water from a bottle to gargle, her thoughts going back to the money issue. Setsu probably spared no expense on whatever she got Cain-nii-san on Valentine's Day... probably something like a car, she thought. Second-hand, considering Setsu never had a visible pre-occupation except to be her brother's groupie.

But she, as Mogami Kyoko, wasn't expecting anything in return and he was doing too much. Now that she thought about it, she started feeling really guilty over the presents that had been waiting for her in the Love Me Section office since the day before. Lilies from Director Ogata from earlier in the week, Swiss chocolates from Momose-san and a gift certificate for a spa from Oohara-san ... Not to mention ice cream with Moko-san and dinner with the Ishibashi-onii-sans on White Day. Everyone was really making an effort, she thought, horrified. And why? Because she handed them two pieces of truffles she made on budget last month.

Now that she thought about it, she frowned. Setsu was a little worthless. Apart from cooking and cleaning and looking after her brother, she really didn't do much of anything. She was nothing more than a decoration and it seemed to suit them fine. What's more, Setsu was being rewarded for what she does. Kyoko hated being useless and yet she enjoyed playing her, and hanging around an idiot brother like Cain, she wondered why even more.

Once she felt much more presentable, she stepped out of the restroom and was surprised to find Cain-nii-san standing just outside.

"All done, Setsu?"

She nodded and smiled as she latched her arm to his and they started to walk. "Nii-san..." she sweetly reminded him of what Yashiro-san had told him so many months ago. "You shouldn't stand outside the ladies' rest room. People will think you're a pervert."

"I'm just making sure nothing happens to you," Cain-nii-san huffed. "No one will fault me for looking after my little sister."

"Yes," she soothingly answered. "But we're trying to blend in here."

They started walking towards the exit. She didn't mind the stares that they were getting out of curiosity for their open display of affection towards each other or their clothes which pretty much declared them to be goons of some kind. She'd gotten used to being stared at - by the most beautiful people in show business, no less. What was attention from regular people?

It had to be worth it... It meant that she gets to spend more time as Setsuka Heel and with Cain Heel, Kyoko thought.

Suddenly, she had an epiphany. She was with Cain-nii-san so nothing really mattered. She loved her big lump of a brother, even if the feeling was strange and weird. With him, at least, she knew that she was safe, free to have fun and part of a wonderful family. She was the center of his world as much as he was the center of hers. Cain looked down on everyone else; he had the softest spot in his heart only for her. She was... special. She guessed that she as Mogami Kyoko was special for Ren too, but in a different way. While Tsuruga Ren was princely and kind to everyone around him, he treated her with a no-nonsense manner, not mincing words when it came to criticism, not praising her even when she did well. She guessed she liked both... since both made her want to work harder.

Somehow, it was going to be very hard to let go of the feeling of Ren looking at her with any emotion other than that grim senpai expression he would often have on his face. Well, it wasn't like she'd see much of him after this, since they will be taking separate paths after shooting. That was the depressing part - before, she would see Ren a few times a week whenever their schedules coincided in Dark Moon. Now with Dark Moon and the movie completed, she was so used to having him constantly around her and he wouldn't be there.

"Setsu," Cain-nii-san suddenly stopped. He let out a grin and asked, "Do you want to do something fun?"

* * *

_9:30 AM_

"So let me get this straight..." Kyoko said in a low tone and in English so the few people around them wouldn't understand as much. She ran her fingers through the hangers on a rack in a small clothing store in a shopping district open this early as Ren sifted through them. "I am myself acting out as Setsu acting out some random girl Kyoko?"

"Right," Ren nodded as he pulled out a pair of jeans his size. "You're not yourself or Setsu, you're just some girl who's named Kyoko."

"And you're just some guy named Ren?" she asked dubiously.

"Yep!" He turned to her and saw that she was looking up at him through slits in her eyes. "What? It's not like those names are very uncommon," he pointed out. Especially since their public personas have no connection to each other whatsoever and they were on first name basis now. They don't work together anymore; Dark Moon had just finished airing a few weeks back and though they're from the same agency, he doubted people would have cause to connect the name Kyoko and Tsuruga Ren.

As Kyoko predicted, they did stand out in Kyoto. As they walked towards a nearby shopping district to get fresh clothes, people took the time and effort to get out of their way. It really didn't bother either one of them, but he didn't want their outing to be one where they'd spend their time being stared at. That was hardly something he wanted for possibly the last day he will have Kyoko all to himself for a long time.

Kyoko pouted a little bit and averted her gaze. "Yeah... well..." she muttered.

"What?" he asked as he turned his attention back to the racks and moved over for shirts.

"Well..." she looked up at him and continued to mutter. "I really want to continue acting as ourselves, nii-san."

That the purpose of why he asked them to act as Ren and Kyoko instead of Cain and Setsu, he thought. He wanted this to be a Ren and Kyoko trip, his White Day present for her. He didn't want either of them to shelve the memory as something Cain and Setsu did.

He turned to her and spotted her fidgeting. Ren understood why she was protesting. She wanted to continue acting as Setsu. He guessed he felt the same way, if only for the part where Setsu was always beside him. He bit his lip and was about to let her have her way when she straightened up and said, "I understand." Then she straightened up and headed for the cashier.

"Hey," Ren caught her by the wrist. "I'm not ready to pay yet."

"Well," she smirked. "Since I get to play this 'Kyoko', I can't expect a man who's not family to pay for my clothes, can I? It's very improper. Didn't you know that around here there's a saying that when a man buys a girl clothes, he's expecting to be the one to take them off later? Besides, these..." She held out the clothes that she chose for herself earlier when they were in the ladies' racks, "...are a little out of character for 'Kyoko'."

Ren watched her as she returned to the racks, quickly picked out her clothes and disappeared into the fitting room. Ren smiled wistfully. At least she was getting into the spirit of things. He returned to picking out a shirt when she emerged from the dressing room, wig and piercings still intact, and headed straight for the counter to pay for her clothes.

Once done, she went back to his side and he laughed at the unsightliness of a girl with bleached and highlighted hair, thick make-up and multiple piercings in a cute little day dress. He realized for the first time how different Mogami Kyoko and Setsuka Heel were.

"I am going to remove them, you know," she grumbled as she started pulling off the lip cuff along with the earring that the chain connected to it. She silently slipped it into her purse.

"Better," Ren complimented. Then he raised his picks. "I'll try these on first. Please wait here."

"Nii-sa... Ren," she called out softly as she grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. Ren turned and met her gaze. "It... it really doesn't matter as long we're together, right?"

Her question was so much more than he could ever have expected; Ren smiled. He really wouldn't prefer it any other way. "Of course," he answered. "As long as we're together."

* * *

_2:00 PM_

Ren was a good planner. Well, he hoped he was. Cain Heel was the messy, spontaneous one, so he had that side to him too. And Kyoko just threw away everything he'd half-planned out of the window.

After picking out clothes, shoes, hats and sunglasses to give a disguise, he rented a car for the remainder of the day so they had a place to stash their costumes. It proved a useful place for them to fix their hair and her make-up. She ended up fixing herself up as Natsu because she was afraid they might bump into someone she knew as a child. Ren had no idea what she looked like before. So he assumed it was similar to how she looked presently - only much more plain, as she described - and agreed. He didn't mind. She was gorgeous.

Once they were ready, Ren thought he could do something nice, but Kyoko made that impossible for him. She became very insistent that the bill be split down the middle especially now that she wasn't with 'her brother'. He could always push things to get his way, but the last thing he wanted to do was be with an upset and unpleasant date who would be computing everything in her head to add on to her debt.

Not that it was bad. Kyoko had good sense and taste, especially with traditional stuff, which was why people visit Kyoto anyway. They ate an early lunch at a decent, reasonably-priced restaurant that served good rice toppings then visited a temple.

Afterward, they settled in a nice traditional private tea room where they snacked on some green tea and an assortment of confectioneries while enjoying the beautifully-maintained botanical garden in view. She was in her element so she was fun and looked happy with how things were going - and that was the most important thing.

"Well..." she said as the topic turned to what they were going to do after they got back to Tokyo. "I have exams coming up so I'll be having massive cram sessions in between shoots. I still have Box 'R' and... and Love Me duties. I also took on two guest roles in other dramas."

"And your movie with Koga-san," he added.

"Well, that's not going to start anytime soon," she answered as she picked up her tea cup. "Shooting probably won't start until June. We only have verbal OKs right now, but they said the contract will coming in within the week." Then she tilted her head to the side in exasperation. "At least that will give me enough time to prepare for the role..."

Ren's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean? You said that they haven't chosen a movie for it yet." Though, Koga Hiromune has been known to play good roles for mainstream films and drama. Ren had already come and gone that path, and it is one of the factors that made the two of them very popular.

"They didn't go much into detail about it," Kyoko answered. "But it's a romance. Koga-san told me how excited he is because my 'freshness' would suit something that will show the joys of love..." She looked so troubled that Ren smiled. "It's not like I'd know how those things go... Then again, it's not like I know how to deal with the role for a psycho movie..."

"What psycho movie?" Ren asked.

"Oh!" she blinked. "I never told you about that?" she asked with a sardonic look on her face. "Well, President Takarada told me that there was this other offer for me to play some weirdo psycho girl who had homicidal tendencies. Apparently, the lead actor asked to have me play the part. Anyway, the movie's scheduled to premiere a few days earlier than the movie with Koga-san so that would be my movie debut."

She looked so indignant about the whole thing that Ren seriously debated whether he should tell her that it was he who requested her. He might as well; she'd find out when shooting started anyway.

But she was willing to move on to another topic and asked, "What about you, Ren? What are you working on after we go back?"

It was still the perfect time to tell her. "A couple of guest roles. Several TV movies," he enumerated them. "Then I'm also going to be working on that psycho girl movie you were talking about..."

Kyoko had the botamochi halfway to her mouth when she stopped and looked at him. She let out a disappointed pout and asked, "You requested me to play a character like that?"

"What?" he asked, knowing well that despite her talk about not caring what kinds of roles she was asked to do, it obviously still bugged her. "It's a good role not everyone can pull off. You have the acting range for it. I would never ask something from someone who wasn't capable. Can't you just see it? If you debut with this movie and have the movie with Koga-san premiere a few days later, wouldn't that be something amazing? That you have two totally different roles all in the same week." When she looked like she was still processing the information, he added, "Besides, you told me that you didn't care what role you played as long as you get to play a role that was on equal billing as me. That role is just as big if not bigger than the role I'd play."

After another few minutes of uncomfortable silence, she raised her eyes to him. "You asked me to play the role because I answered the way I answered you when you asked me about who I want to work with?"

"No," he shook his head. Then the thought came that he wanted to say yes instead. He wanted her to know that part of the reason was because she asked him... that he was willing to do something like this just because she asked him. But then Kyoko would fuss. "But why wouldn't I want to work alongside the best actress possible? I have no specific objections to working with someone of your talent again." When she started blushing and looking down at her lap, he asked, "What?"

"Well... nothing," she answered, looking flushed and embarrassed but happy with what he said.

* * *

_2:45 PM_

Kyoko stared at her cup of tea as she processed everything that Ren told her about the psycho girl movie.

It was so embarrassing! He told her he wanted to work with her because she was a talented actress! She always wished it would happen, but now that it did, she didn't know what to do. She should be crying out in joy, but she couldn't get herself to do anything but look at her lap. She was still a thousand years too early to be equal to Ren. To know that he recognized her talent, it was..

Then she felt it again. The twinge in her heart that she felt last night in Odawara. She couldn't understand what it was, but she knew it had something to do with Ren. He was the only person with her when she started feeling it.

"What is it?" Ren asked. "Would you have preferred that I asked you to play another role? Because, fair warning, I'm not doing any romance movies in the foreseeable future."

"No," she answered immediately, looking up at him. "The psycho movie is fine."

She raised her tea cup and stealthily looked at him as he took another confection from the plate set between them.

She was happy and, at the same time, nervous. Ren has been making her nervous all day, which was strange considering she's been with him almost every free moment for the last couple of weeks. When he told her at the clothing store that he wanted them to play themselves instead of Cain and Setsuka, she was really disappointed. She came along for Cain Heel, not Tsuruga Ren. She adored Cain and an outing seemed like a waste because she was with Ren when she can totally be herself when she was Setsu, while she always had to mind herself when Ren was around. But things didn't work out that way...

She had just as much fun with him. He indulged her in anything she wanted to do - she made him choose where they were going to eat, where they went, and what they were going to do. Now, he was pampering her with words that were supposed to give her a big head, but it was just making her more shy.

He was so adorable, she thought as she watched his nose crinkle at the unusual texture of the mochi he was eating, knowing full well that something in her heart was dangerously pushing her to the edge.

Suddenly, she finally understood what the twinge in her heart was for...

She simply just didn't want to be away from him.

From Ren.

It was a silly thought because there was no way that they could constantly be together. But she knew that as their job as Cain and Setsu has ended, they will go their separate ways and only see each other in passing. She really didn't want that... yet.

But she couldn't quite understand yet as to why.

To cover up his distaste for what he just ate, Ren looked at her and asked, "So will you be doing the movie?"

Kyoko smiled and nodded. "Of course I am," she answered. "I already told Moko-san that I would."

* * *

_3:00 PM_

They were quiet while they finished off the last of the snacks and the tea. When Ren was done with his treats, he asked, "Where to next? We still have a couple of hours to kill before we leave."

It was too early in the season for cherry blossom viewing, the lantern festival wouldn't start until evening and they'd be gone by then, so they opted for plum blossom viewing at a nearby shrine - a good way, Ren thought, to kill time. They could opt for a movie or shopping, but they could do that whenever they wanted, anywhere they chose.

After deciding, they were inside a convenience store, buying some snacks to enjoy.

"Here," Kyoko dropped four pieces of onigiri into the basket he was holding.

Ren gave the onigiri an ironic look and said, "I thought you didn't like onigiri."

"What on earth are you talking about?" she turned her back to him as she looked through drinks. "Onigiri is perfectly good food when eaten as a snack or with other dishes. You, on the other hand, think of onigiri as a perfectly good meal. See the difference? Don't worry," she giggled. "I got your favorite tuna mayonnaise."

After choosing drinks and something sweet for them, they headed for the counter.

"In business news, the president of the Koenji Group of Companies announced the engagement of his daughter, society girl Erika, to business tycoon-"

"Boooring..." the store clerk on the counter changed the channel as the reporter went on and on about the impact of the engagement and the business mergers to the economy. She turned to them and smiled, "Welcome, sir" as Ren placed the small basket of various items they picked up.

"So now, girls of Japan, prepare your hearts," a lady Ren was familiar with announced through the TV screen, "Our favorite bachelor from the business world has just announced his engagement to the daughter of the Koenji Group."

"It's had the society pages and the business world talking all morning!" Ren's smiled sardonically. The pair of girls were the ones who managed to catch him off guard before when they asked him about his love life. The show wasn't exactly a gossip show, but their target market were young ladies who liked the latest trends, fashion, boys and celebrity gossip. "And of course, us too! The announcement came early this morning in a press conference where the presidents of both companies confirmed it."

"Eh? That sounds more like a company merger than a wedding," her co-host drolled.

"Well, the business world is a realm we mere mortals will never understand," the first girl answered dramatically. "It looks like Koenji Erika-san will no longer be aspiring to be an actress because of this. But...!" she segued to a change of topic. "Speaking of the New Canary Hotel, the press conference gave our cameras the opportunity to go star sighting!"

"So, is this where the elusive Actor X is staying?"

Ren's curiosity was piqued. In order to build on the hype of the movie, several false leads were created about his identity as well as his whereabouts. As far as he knew, the New Canary Hotel wasn't part of the false leads to reduce the risks. Because he and Kyoko were living in a bubble of secrecy, he wasn't really aware of the kind of impact Actor X or the movie was creating.

"Well, sources in the hotel staff say yes!" the girl exclaimed. "But everyone's still in the dark about the identity because the registration is under LME, the agency was responsible for getting the actor into the movie, so it's got to be him! The most we got about him is that he's as elusive as his reputation states. He was also accompanied by his sister."

"His sister?" the co-host wrinkled her nose. "She's probably just a girlfriend who's parading around as his sister."

Kyoko knocked down a display of candy on the counter. She hurriedly fixed it.

"Unfortunately," the girl read through a piece of paper. "They disappeared from the hotel yesterday. The room was ransacked but nothing seemed to be missing. No one knows where they went and LME let out a release that they've left the country."

Leave it to the president to create drama to explain where they've gone. Ren felt himself relax.

"Eh! What a letdown! No one even got to interview Cain Heel-san!"

"But that's not the star sighting I was talking about!" the girl exclaimed. "You will never believe who our cameras caught at the breakfast buffet of the hotel..." She let out a dramatic pause then announced in a rapid, high-pitched voice, "Once again, girls of Japan, prepare your hearts! It's none other than Japan's number one singer, Fuwa Sho!" Then in a more mellow tone, she continued, "He was spotted in the breakfast buffet with gravure idol Nanokura Mimori!"

Damn... Ren thought. If Cain and Setsu had stayed at the hotel and had breakfast at the buffet like _he'd_ planned, the press would have found them. Suddenly he was kind of glad that they got out of the hotel when they did. Not to mention, having another run in with Fuwa who was pretty steamed about last night.

"So does this mean that Nanokura Mimori-san is back in the girlfriend seat at his concerts?"

"They have not released any statement, but she's been a strong contender to get the permanent spot there. We will find out tonight on his White Day concert! If she and Fuwa Sho-san keep coming back to each other, it could be true love."

"What the hell!" her co-host whined. "All the good men are dropping like flies. If the day ends with Tsuruga Ren getting a girlfriend, my world will crumble!..."

Ren wasn't listening anymore, so he turned to Kyoko and was surprised to see her staring at the small television intently with an unreadable expression on her face. What on earth was wrong with her? he wondered. There was no way in hell she could have been bothered by news like that. She already confronted Fuwa and rejected him. She was looking at the TV as the show replayed shots of Sho and Mimori in the breakfast buffet as though she was bothered by it.

Irrationally, Ren became jealous. It was supposed to their day together. Why the hell was she letting things like Fuwa bother her? Her attention was supposed to be fixed on him, he thought possessively. Now his mood was ruined. Completely, because he knew based on Kyoko's tendency to let things drag out when something bothered her, any attempt of his to shift her attention back to him would be impossible.

"Kyoko," he turned to her as the cashier said the total amount. She continued to stare at the TV unblinkingly. She didn't noticed so Ren paid for the purchases. Then he stood in front of her, blocking the TV from her sight and called again, with a sterner tone, "Kyoko."

It took her a while before her focus shifted back on him.

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. She pulled her wallet out of her purse and asked, "How much?"

"Don't worry about it. I got it," Ren took the bag from the counter and headed for the door.

"Ah, Ren!" Kyoko called out to him above the clerk's, "Thank you. Please come again!"

Ren stepped out of the store, but he stopped when he realized that he was acting immaturely. He contritely waited outside for Kyoko to catch up to him. He was still annoyed that Fuwa had managed to ruin things for him even if they were in another prefecture. He guessed he was used to it, but he was feeling down that nothing seemed to work in gaining Kyoko's attention for himself. No, annoyed wasn't the word. Upset was only a fraction of what he was feeling. Hurt; it was a sensation he doesn't usually feel, but it was coming on pretty strong right now.

"Ren!" Kyoko finally caught up with him. "What are you doing? I thought we agreed that we split everythi-"

"What took you?" a girl that was standing nearby exclaimed as another girl came up to her. "If we get left by the train and miss Sho-kun's White Day concert, I'll never forgive you!"

"Sorry," the girl gasped for air as the two of them ran off. "I got held up at home. Let's go?"

Then he saw it again. The enraged look on her face. Ren struggled to curb his hurt feelings, his jealousy, his slowly breaking heart and his anger. He kept those ugly thoughts from taking over his emotions and let out a sigh. Oddly enough, that brought Kyoko's attention back to him.

Ren kept his focus on the ground. Needless to say, he was feeling defeated. No matter what he did, unless he was some kind of fairy, he'd never be able to purge the big space Fuwa occupied in Kyoko's mind.

A fairy, he had a sudden epiphany.

"Re-Ren," Kyoko said as she gingerly tried to reach out for his arm. "I'm so-"

Ren barely noticed what she was doing and sharply turned to her. She looked startled by the motion and flinched. "We're going driving," he declared.

"Eh?" Kyoko exclaimed in surprise. Then she started following him as he headed for the direction where they left the parked car. "But, Ren, I thought we're going to the plum blossom viewing."

"Well," Ren answered when she finally caught up with him and they were walking side by side. "I thought that but since we're already here, we might as well go there."

"There?" she asked in wonder.

He looked down at her. "I want to take you somewhere nice."

* * *

_3:15 PM_

It wasn't fair, Kyoko thought darkly as Ren drove the car and her thoughts were left to wander about again. She looked unseeingly through the windshield as her demons circled her head while she wallowed in misery. She was the one who had her heart ripped and shredded into a million pieces. She was the only one who had to pick up the pieces all by herself with no money, no prospects, and no clear plans.

Well, she thought still fuming, it wasn't like she was jealous. It's not like Nanokura-san's position was enviable. She's nothing more than Shotaro's doormat. She'd been there before, there was nothing to be happy about there. She was just annoyed that people like him get everything they want. She was the injured party so why the hell did Shotaro get a freaking happy ending with his dream E-cup gravure girlfriend? Why was his life running smoothly - career, financial, love life - while she couldn't get anything right with her life? What the hell?

At least Ren wasn't going Demon Lord mode on her. She sensed it when they were in the convenience store and realized that she ruined the mood because they were supposed to have a fun outing. Now, he wasn't, but he seemed very determined to do something at the place where he wanted to go to instead of the plum blossom viewing.

Well, she turned her head to the window, it's not like- Her eyes focused on the way and she realized that they were driving to a familiar road. In surprise, she straightened up and turned to the driver.

"Wh-where are we going?" Kyoko asked as Ren drove in the direction of the district that she grew up in.

"Uh," Ren looked at her and answered. "There's a place around here that I liked to go to when I was a kid." The he grinned at her. "Kuu Hizuri was born and raised in Kyoto, wasn't he? We used to vacation here a lot when I was younger. Then things got busier so we stopped."

"You have family here? Haven't you visited them since you've been back?" she asked sheepishly, trying to deter her panic. Who would have thought that they almost came from the same district. Had he grew up here instead of America, he would have been a senpai at school or something.

"Kyoko," he chuckled. "What business would they have with a complete stranger like Tsuruga Ren? I made a promise to myself that I would never use the name Kuon Hizuri until I am ready to return home."

She just stared at him blankly. She remembered how they have been when they were living as Cain and Setsu. Ren literally lived as Cain, waking up in the morning with Cain Heel in his psyche, only breaking out of character because she was incapable of holding onto Setsu when things became too much for her to hold in. Also, he has been resisting his own parents fro the last couple of years. "Are you telling me that you've never broken out of Tsuruga Ren since you took on the name?"

"Once," he answered. Then he corrected himself. "Three times actually... when my mother came and when I told you about Kuon Hizuri." Then he looked thoughtful for a few more minutes then chuckled. "Maybe more than just three times. I'm not usually as bad-tempered."

"Do you mean because you often lose your temper with me?" she started remembering all the times when he would openly show his displeasure and anger when directed at her. She always thought an angry Ren was out of character. Well, he wasn't angry now. Her anger antannae weren't acting up. He just seemed sad about something, Kyoko concluded.

"I think so, yes," he looked at her jokingly.

"I get in the way, don't I?" she asked miserably. Well, she didn't know. Also, she wanted to be around him. First as an actor, now as a friend.

"Don't think of it that way," Ren gave her a sideways glance and smiled.

"Then..." A horrible thought came to her. "What about the time okaa-san came?" He did call her 'okaa-san'. The President never gave her a straight answer about the woman who came to play Heel mama. When the three of them were together, he seemed to be keeping her at arm's length while wanting to be at her side at the same time. It must have been hard for him to resist her.

"No..." he answered slowly. Then he smiled as she turned to him. "But I was glad she came. You liked having her around."

"I did, but..."

"Besides," he turned back to the road and looked ahead. "With everything that happened after, I'm happy that you got to meet her. You seem to need my mother more than me."

A fierce blush tinted her cheeks. Ren wanted his mother there for her? She didn't tell him about her mother until after oba-sama came!

Then she felt it again. The twinge in her heart. Only then did she understand what it entailed. It was an opening. All day long, he had been hitting her in places she was most vulnerable and filling the void with many wonderful things, from making her happy about being be able to spend time with him to her ego as an actress. Now, it was her mother. With so many triggers, it was almost undeniably dangerous.

She was in love with him.

How stupid can she be? she concluded with a sinking feeling on her stomach. Just because he showed her many wonderful things didn't mean she had to loosen her defenses. She already knew that her heart had been trying to warn her the night before, but she refused to listen. She quickly fortified all the security around her heart. She was sure that one more grand gesture from him would send her over the edge, and she couldn't recover from that.

She suddenly wanted to dislike the Setsu character. She loved it so much that she was bringing her feelings into real life. Her constant need to be with him, her love for him...

She wondered if Ren had ever experienced this before over a favorite role.

The rest of the drive didn't take long. In a few minutes, he parked at the side of the road, announcing that they arrived at their destination and there was a little walk into the woods. Kyoko felt something sink into the pit of her stomach. It was the same wooded area that she frequented as a child. Then again, it was a pretty big forest and it was nowhere near her starting point, the Fuwa Ryokan.

As they walked, Kyoko felt herself relax. The woods always did that to her. And it was nice that she got to spend it with someone who appreciated nature like Ren did. She remembered how they walked the path in Karuizawa before and they would stop ever so often whenever he would spot a bird or a squirrel just to point it out to her.

"Um, Ren...?"

"What is it?" Ren asked distractedly as they made their way into the woods.

"You said before that you're prone to having favorites too, didn't you?" He made a sound of agreement so she continued, "Have you ever had a favorite role?"

Ren stopped in his tracks and turned to her. Kyoko became worried that the question pissed him off. Of course as a professional actor, he wouldn't-

"Of course I do," Ren answered.

He did? Kyoko looked at him in wonder. Katsuki? Kiichi? BJ - no, can't be. Then her heart started pounding. Cain Heel? she thought hopefully.

"I was ten," he gave her a childish smile. "I got to play a fairy prince."

Those two words caused sparkles in her eyes. "Fairy prince?" she repeated.

"Yup," he nodded. He took her hand and they started walking the path. "I can tell you the story if you want..."

Of course she wanted! Her interest was so piqued, her ears were probably twitching to know. Then again, she thought with a downcast expression. He was ten then. He said he didn't have much success as an actor until the age of seventeen. But if it was his favorite role, it must have brought him a lot of happiness.

Without waiting for an answer, he began, "There was once a fairy prince, who lived with the king and queen in a palace in the fairy world. Everyone in the kingdom was beautiful and the king and queen were kind. The prince liked adventure so he set out into the woods and met a little girl..."

She couldn't stop him even if she wanted, simply because she was already in love with the story. She wanted to know the story of the fairy prince.

"She was the cutest little thing, but she was crying when they first met and the prince didn't like that," Ren continued the story. "So he did his utmost to make her smile - they became friends. They played and talked and he even showed her how he flew in the sky."

Unconsciously, Kyoko smiled and started thinking about Corn. A poignant smile touched her face.

"But the prince had to go back home days later," Ren tone turned serious and grim as he lifted a low-hanging branch and let her pass through first. "And the girl started crying. So the prince gave her a memento - a stone he possessed with the promise that it will make all the bad feelings she feels go away."

Kyoko stopped and turned to him. With a frown, she glared at him and haltingly asked, "Are you just making fun of me now?" He knew the story of how she and Corn met. She told him after his acting test for Dark Moon.

Ren cocked an eyebrow. "Do you want to know the rest of the story or not?" he asked mockingly. Then he let out an exaggerated sigh. "Then again, you're better off not knowing... After the prince came back to the fairy world, things turned really bad."

Kyoko's eyes widened at the statement. "What do you mean things turned bad?" The prince returned to the fairy world. Nothing could be bad there! Corn was a prince who could do anything!

"The prince," he stressed standing in front of her and looking her seriously in the eye, "had a hard time catching up to his father. He couldn't see himself becoming king. The king has done many great things while the prince did stupid things that it's really laughable now that he's an adult."

The prince's father's hand was too big, Kyoko thought sadly. Just like Corn. Now another depressing thought came that maybe her encounter with her fairy prince hadn't been real at all. As a child, she consumed every storybook available at the school library. Even now, she would take advantage of LME's extensive video library to watch fairy-themed drama and movie in her spare time sometimes. Maybe she just got it all mixed up...

No, she shook her head. She refused to believe it! She had the Corn stone in her purse! That was tangible proof that it was real!

"Then things turned for the worse..." Ren grimly carried on.

"How much worse could it go?" she asked tearily.

Ren took a deep breath. "Much worse," he said. "The prince's loyal friend died." His eyes clouded. "And the prince was the one to blame. He couldn't forgive himself, so eventually he turned into a demon. But it was unnatural for demons to exist in such a world so he eventually stopped moving completely. So, he banished himself from the fairy world, vowing that he will never come back until he has proven himself worthy again... until he has forgiven himself for everything that has happened..."

By this time, Kyoko was openly weeping. This story sucks, she thought. She didn't want to hear it anymore. But Ren continued anyway as he pulled her to his side like he was offering her some comfort. They continued to walk. "One day, he found her again. The little girl. Of course, by this time, she was all grown up..."

A continuation? Kyoko's tears stopped.

A smirk appeared on his face. "She turned into one hell of a demon herself."

"He fell in love with her, didn't he?" Kyoko asked.

Ren looked at her in surprise. "How did you know?"

"It's always like that in stories," she muttered. "Though, I don't know why she had to turn into a demon. Couldn't she just have grown up to be the prettiest girl in the village with a pure heart? Hardly a good character to help the prince at this point. This really doesn't sound like a fairy tale at all."

"She has a lot of issues," Ren laughed. "Anyway, had she not, she would have never caught the prince's attention. Who could have lived with someone as boring as that?"

No one, Kyoko though bitterly. That's why she got dumped for busty, leggy girls. She kicked a pebble as she took another step.

"You see, his princess..."

Princess? She looked up at him with renewed interest.

"His princess opened up new worlds for him," he smiled softly. "He was able to do things he didn't know he could do. Things that couldn't have happened had she not been around. She made it possible for him to overcome a challenge when he was backed into a corner. She helped him fight off a dark demon. She even helped him reunite with his parents. Well..." he let out a short laugh. "At least until he can get back to the fairy world."

"It sounds so nice," Kyoko smiled tenderly, still thinking about Corn. Corn was definitely born to be king. "Then what happened? Did he made his grand confession after everything? Was it in front of all the citizens of the fairy world?" she asked as they neared the end of the path into a clearing. It would be so romantic... she gushed, letting herself get lost in the fairy world again. She was sure that the girl couldn't say no. If she did all those things to make the prince fall in love with her, he surely would have done things that would have made her love him back. "Did they live happily ever after?"

Ren hesitated. "I don't know..."

So, Kyoko's stomach sank. This was probably one of those roles that got him fired. Maybe because he didn't listen to the director. Still, she wanted to know how it ended. "What movie was it?" Even if it was a foreign movie, maybe she could watch it to know, even if the actor was no longer Kuon Hizuri.

"Eh?" Ren smiled. "It wasn't a movie or a drama."

"Eh?"

"It was a performance done for an audience of one..." he said. Then he pulled her into the clearing and Kyoko's eyes widened. "...and this was the stage of the first act where the prince met his princess."

Kyoko let out a surprised gasp. It was the Hamburger Kingdom! Everything was the same, except for some obvious changes nature brought about. The clearing, the water from the river and the small white rocks that were the citizens of the Hamburger Kingdom. The exact same place where she first met Corn! Because the pathway was different from the one from the Fuwa Ryokan, she thought it lead to another clearing. Never in a million years would she have thought that it would actually lead to the exact same spot.

Ren continued forward, but Kyoko was frozen with awe from where she stood. Then he turned around and the light hit the water just enough to make his dark hair light. "Kyoko-chan..." he smiled childishly.

Kyoko found herself reverting back to her six-year old self as she got caught up in the fairytale that Ren was weaving for her. With teary eyes and a weak, relieved smile, she ran up to the man who played her fairy prince with an girlish, excited squeal, "Corn!" She jumped into his arms.

Corn held her close, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he buried his nose in her hair, and Kyoko wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his chest. It was the same kind of warmth she remembered from her fairy prince. His arms gently but firmly wrapped around her, and she happily let it envelop her. For her anyway, time seemed to stand still.

Then through her hair, Corn quietly said, "Kyoko-chan, I'm in love with you."

"Eh?" she froze at the words.

She took a precarious step back and looked at him. His expression held no expectations or anticipation. Kyoko bit her lower lip. What was he trying to say?

Then he looked down at the ground and let out a relieved smile. "Well," he said. "I finally got to say it." He raised their convenience store snacks. "Let's eat! Since we're here anyway." Then he turned around and headed in the direction of the big rock she and Corn sat on while they talked as children.

"Wait!" she called out as soon as he was a few steps away.

He stopped and slowly turned to her. Kyoko was quickly taken aback at the adorable blush that streaked his cheeks. "What is it?" he asked evasively.

"That's it?" she asked disbelievingly. "That's all you wanted to say?"

"No, that's not it," he replied. "There are a lot of things I want to say, but I thought I'd say just that for now. I don't think you'd want to know the rest."

"But...!" she started to protest.

"Mm?"

But it was so unromantic! Princesses everywhere would die in despair, being confessed to like that! He cannot just go spin a pretty story and leave her hanging like that.

"It can't be just that!" she exclaimed. "Of course I want to know the rest!" The first sixteen years of her life, she had been fantasizing about her prince. But her prince ended up being a frog, and her first kisses have been fake. Now...

"Alright," he sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"Is this a joke?" she asked angrily.

He sighed again. "Kyoko," he shook his head. "It took me two weeks to get the nerve to say that out loud. Before that, I'd just been curbing it. How could you think that this is a prank? I don't play games with people's hearts."

"The last two weeks? Before that?" she repeated as the weird revelation threw her off-course. "Are you saying that you fell in love with me while we were playing Cain and Setsu?"

"No," he chuckled. "Way before that."

"Valentine's Day?" He did kiss her, but he took it back.

He frowned. "I said way before."

"Then..." her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "You've been in love with me since you were ten and I was six?"

"Don't be absurd, that's a little too far back," Ren said. He shook his head and walked up to her, bent down and leveled their eyes. "Kyoko..." he smiled. "I never forgot you after I left. Then I couldn't get you out of my head since the day you stormed into LME, wanting to join-"

"You threw me out of the building!" she retorted. "Literally!"

He straightened up and huffed, "What would you do if some upstart came now and said she wanted to join in with no love for being an entertainer?"

"She'll be lucky if I don't kill her," she answered immediately. Then she stopped and looked up at him. His face looked annoyed and triumphant. Then, not only did she understand what he meant the time he told her he was disgusted with her motives, she empathized with it too. Her eyes averted from the sight of him as she pondered how things were.

"Anyway," he continued reeling her back to the topic. "I was really living a very peaceful life as Tsuruga Ren for a long time before you came along and threw it off." Kyoko started towards him, trying to understand what he meant as he continued, looking at the forest and not at her, "I really didn't like who I was as Kuon. Having you around made me remember him..."

A sinking feeling came at the pit of stomach and she bit her lower lip in guilt. "I... I've been hindering you, haven't I?" But why? Kuon Hizuri had a wonderful family. He was rich and popular and had loving parents... Maybe, she felt sick, this was the part she didn't want to hear the other day. Something that happened that made him unable to move like Kuu-oton described. It couldn't really have been that bad, could it? Now, she wanted more than ever to know.

"What?" he turned to look at her. "No," he shook her head. "Didn't I just tell you? The princess made a lot of things happen. I wouldn't have been able to do a lot of things if you weren't around..."

She clasped her hands in front of her and just looked at him. She really didn't know what to say. She was tempted to take a step forward and close the gap between them, but couldn't get herself to take the initiative. Because she wasn't sure she can trust herself. Or him. She hadn't even accepted the fact that she was in love with him. She needed to separate Setsuka Heel from herself before she can begin figuring it out and kicking the thought out of her mind, if only to protect herself from being hurt again by anything love brought.

"But you know what..." he continued. "I never really liked Kuon Hizuri until now. I always saw him as an enemy to defeat because he never did anything good."

"Why would you think that?" She loved playing young Kuon. Then she remembered the story that he just told her. His friend... turning into a demon... Not being able to move... But he also said that he was able to defeat the demon so...

"Well..." he raised his hand and held the back of his neck. "You said that you didn't want to know that part."

"Yes, I do!" she exclaimed. She remembered the other night when she told him that she didn't want to know about his past, but she changed her mind almost immediately. Then she looked at him in wonder. Could he have already told her with the fairytale he just said?

He let out a smile and walked up to her. "It's alright, Kyoko," he said when he was in front of her. "There's no need for you to force yourself. Like I said, I just wanted you to know that. I thought that because you're a princess, I wanted to be a prince for you." He raised his hand to her face.

"But the princess is not in love with the prince!" she spurted out suddenly.

She saw him pause and slightly wince. She definitely saw it, and though he recovered quickly enough, his hand fell to the side and his gaze moved to the ground.

"The thing with the fairy prince happened a long time ago," Kyoko continued, unaware that her feelings were spilling over. If only because she was talking about a princess here. "He'll always be very special to the princess and will forever be her friend, but if given the choice, she'd really much rather be with the demon. At least with him, she's needed." She almost forgot about his presence as she immersed herself into the story, closed her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest, and nodded at every point. "Everything that she and the prince went through was only in the world that existed for both of them. Even if it's one of the very most important moments in the girl's life, all of their adventures were make-believe. The times with the demon were more real and the princess probably hasn't ever been more frustrated, sad, scared and, more importantly, happy with everything that they went through toge-"

She was cut short when she found herself wrapped in Ren's arms. The motion make her stiff and unable to think a coherent thought as Ren buried his face against her hair. The weight of him was so heavy, and his embrace was nearly unbearably tight. Even if she had never been aware of his presence before in her life, she certainly felt it now. Her face was smushed up against his chest where even his scent was an assault to her senses.

When something finally came into focus in her mind, it was... Damn it! She said too much. She had hoped to use the princess analogy to make sure that whatever she was starting to feel now wouldn't seep through. Bad mistake! she scolded herself. She knew that she could never become a princess, but she couldn't keep from wanting to pretend she was one! Now she had trapped and lost herself in the fairy tale he created and she continued it!

"If that's the case," he said, moving his head to her ear so she could hear him, "would you still want to have many more adventures with the demon? With me? Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko didn't know if she was making a mistake - that would make two times and she'd officially be an idiot if it was, but the warmth from her own twinging heart was demanding it. It wouldn't be denied. She would risk it, because it meant she'll be with him - Cain, Kuon, Corn, Ren... Slowly, but unhesitatingly, she raised her hands and wrapped her arms around Ren's waist. Then she nodded and said, "Yes."

"We're still gonna go back to the fairy world," he said.

He still wants to go back? And bring her? She smiled and nodded. "Someday."

She let out a yelp as she felt herself lifted off her feet - like she was flying - as Ren let out a relieved laugh and finally was allowed to sweep her off her feet.

* * *

___9:05 PM_

Sawara Takenori hurried down the stairs to head home.

It was late. The meeting with Bridge Rock for Kimagure Rock's contract renewal with the show's producer took longer than scheduled. Who knew that the boys were actually very shrewd when it came to business? They managed to walk away with a larger salary per episode and a larger slice of royalties too. But not just for them; for Mogami-kun too, which was the start of the conflict. The producer was against it on account of her playing nothing but a mascot. The boys stubbornly pointed out that Bo is not the same without Mogami-kun, and Bo was not only a proven draw for celebrity guests, but did more than any other mascot, from entertaining and hyping up the guests to cooking meals for them. Plus, the fans love Bo.

After the meeting, he asked the boys why and they simply answered that it was because Mogami-kun was not likely to stay being a mascot for very long with the kind of offers she's been getting lately. The added benefits for her was a way to keep her in the show for as long as possible.

He didn't know that the boys were planning this, Takenori thought in frustration. They threw him into the gauntlet. It wasn't good that LME's representation wasn't united so Takenori negotiated on Mogami-kun's behalf. She was going to be getting away with much more now. The President said that he didn't mind.

He zigzagged through the hallways to head for the nighttime exit. As he walked, he was called out to by a familiar voice.

"Sawara-san!" Mogami-kun called out to him from close by. She bowed before heading towards him and Ren followed behind her.

"Ah, good evening, Mogami-kun," he nodded. "I wasn't expecting that I'd see you - either of you -" he looked at Ren. "-tonight." Most of the time, neither of them passed by the office after a day of work. He thought the two of them went straight home after abandoning their hotel room.

"We just got back," Ren answered. "We're just picking up my car so I can take Kyoko home."

"I also need to pick something up from the Love Me Section office," she said. "I need to work on my documents tonight so I can drop them off after school before the Box 'R' shoot."

"Ah..." Takenori suddenly remembered. "That's good, but I need you spare me about an hour tomorrow, or the day after, if tomorrow is no good. We need to discuss the Koga movie."

"Yes, sir," Mogami-kun nodded.

"By the way," Ren said as he dug into the paper bag he was carrying. "Since you're here, Sawara-san..."

"Eh?"

"Kyoko and I just got back from Kyoto..."

Kyoto...? Takenori thought in wonder. They went to Kyoto? Weren't they supposed to have checked out of the hotel today?

"Ah," Kyoko dug into her own paper bag. "I think Sawara-san's in mine, Corn."

Corn? Takenori's ears perked up. He remembered that... clearly because that was the first he had even seen a genuinely happy expression on Mogami-kun's face. Because she named a stone Corn... He couldn't quite remember, but it had something to do with a friend she met when she was a little girl...

"Ah!" she exclaimed as she pulled out a small box wrapped in a fine cloth. "Here, souvenirs from Kyoto from Ren and me," she cheerfully said as she held it out to him with both hands. "It has really good confectioneries from a shop we visited. Please enjoy them with your family."

"Ah..." Takenori gingerly took the box in his hands. Ren almost never brought back souvenirs unless it's from one of his rare personal vacations. Not for him anyway. Even though the two of them were friends, he usually only brings home souvenirs for Matsushima-kun and the Acting Department as custom suggested. "Thank you."

"I hope you like them. We won't be keeping you," Ren smiled. He turned to Kyoko and asked, "You still getting your things from the Love Me Section office?"

"Yes," she answered.

They said their goodbyes and went on their way. Takenori watched them because something seemed off about the way they were interacting with each other. For one thing, Mogami-kun had always referred to Ren as Tsuruga-san and treated him like a respected senpai. Now, they were walking side-by-side with each other.

Then to his surprise, Ren poked her side, causing her to yelp. "I told you not to call me that! It's weird," he whined.

"I'm sorry," she let out a small giggle. Then Takenori nearly jumped in shock when she latched her hand to his as they disappeared into an elevator.

No... her childhood friend Corn couldn't be...

Either way, he shook out of his stupor, pulled out his mobile phone and dialed the President's number.

"This better be good, Sawara-kun," the President greeted. "You're kind of interrupting a date here."

"Yes, my apologies to you and Woods-san," Takenori apologized. "It's... not good. Not really, if you consider work..."

* * *

___9:15 PM_

"What is it, darling?" Jelly tilted her head to the side when her darling set the phone down. "Did something happen to Sawara-san?"

"I don't know what he's crying about," Darling picked up his spoon again and went back to his dessert. "That short-sighted fool still hasn't realized that his problems about Mogami-kun encountering a slump when she does the Koga movie are gone."

"Mm?" She looked at him cluelessly. She had no idea what darling was talking about. She never heard any of his complaints about Kyoko-chan. The only thing that she knew about Kyoko-chan was that darling was despairing about Ren-chan and how slow he was about wooing with her.

* * *

___10:15 PM_

Ren pulled over to the curb and placed the car in park, then turned to Kyoko. "I'll walk you to your place," he said.

"OK," Kyoko smiled as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

Ren smiled and reached out to stop her from opening the car door. As she looked up at him in question, he leaned down with a tender, loving expression on his face. I could get used to seeing that expression, was her final thought before he kissed her. His eyes held hers for a moment before gently drifting shut and she shyly followed his lead. As his lips teasingly caressed hers, she gasped and he snorted a little in amusement, causing her face to warm up but she didn't pull away from him. His head tilted to the side, and his hands curled around her neck and shoulder, gently pulling her close. With his head slanted, she could feel the outline of his lips much more clearly, and she felt her face heating up further. Thankfully Ren could feel the heat practically radiating off of her and with a nearly gleeful grin, he backed off. I can do this whenever I want now, he thought in utter satisfaction.

When he finally pulled away, she was as red as a tomato inside his dimly lit car. He schooled his smile as he unbuckled his seatbelt, and they stepped out of the car. It was late, but Kyoko said that the restaurant was still likely busy so they headed through the backdoor.

He would never get enough of her, he thought as they walked hand-in-hand.

Ren thought back to their time together. After finally winning her in the end, they spent time in the Hamburger Kingdom talking while snacking on their convenience store purchases. He told her about Rick, and she cried. Then they talked about what happens next. Of course, he made it very clear that they were a couple now, knowing Kyoko's propensity for misunderstanding things. In reality, nothing much will change. They're still the same people. They're just together. The important thing was that they knew it.

"What time will you get out tomorrow?" Kyoko asked as they walked.

"Around nine," he answered. "What about you?"

"The same," she answered. "After my Box 'R' shoot, I still have ice cream with Kotonami-san and I have dinner with the Ishibashi-onii-sans. But I still have to study after because the exams are coming up."

Well, they were her friends - people who are special to Kyoko. It didn't bother Ren because she explained and insisted that the Ishibashis really were her friends. After the deprivation of friends as a child, he didn't want to stand in her way in that aspect. Still, it was a shame. It was White Day and they couldn't even be with each other even if they wanted to. Their schedules for the next couple of weeks were packed. Also, she had exams coming up so she would really be busy. "If you want, you can come over to my place after," he offered. "You can study better there. It's certainly much more quiet than the restaurant."

"OK..." she answered quietly as she led him to a small alley at the side of the building where the restaurant stood.

Now that he thought about it, Kyoko wasn't her usual self. Normally, she wouldn't jump into a trip for the heck of it and she would even refuse troubling him to walk her to her door or even spending time at his place. Easily, he could attribute it to to how attached Setsu has been to Cain, but he knew better now. It was because of something else. He was glad that she seemed to want to spend as much time with him as he did with her. Not that he expected to be around her all the time. But right now - just after living for more than two weeks around her with the lingering feelings Cain has for his sister still there and he finally managed to win her after much longer than that, it was only natural for him to see things through rose-colored glasses for a while.

Once they got back to the normalcy of their busy schedules, they would learn to adjust to it. They still had dreams to fulfill with their careers.

When they reached the door, they stopped and looked at each other. Kyoko was biting her lower lip and hesitated. Ren thought she wanted a hug or a kiss so he stepped forward, but she spoke out before he could do anything. "Um... Do... Do you want to have dinner? I'm sure there's a lot of food inside."

He didn't particularly want to eat, but he seriously didn't want to leave yet. "Sure," he nodded.

She smiled happily as her eyes met his. Then she opened the door, took his hand and led him inside. They moved forward together, letting the door close behind them.

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

**- **Next chapter: The Yappa Kimagure Rock anniversary episode.


	21. Epilogue

**Spring Has Come For That Plain Girl With No Sex Appeal**

**Epilogue**

**Acknowledgments:** Runadaemon and Jhiz for beta-reading. I really appreciate all the work you've put through in the chapters you've worked on.

**Dedications: **To Cactus2008 who has been reading my fics since, like forever. I never dedicated a chapter to you before, amirite?

I don't own Skip Beat!

* * *

**A Few Weeks After White Day (Early April)**

_10:15 PM_

Ren ended his workday with the anniversary episode of Yappa Kimagure Rock.

He was excited to attend the show. Work has been busy since White Day and none of them brought him near TBM Studios so he never had the opportunity to tell the chicken that he had won the heart of the girl he was in love with. He really didn't have to, but since the chicken was the only one who was there to listen when he had problems back then, he really wanted to. Then again, Bo The Chicken would probably laugh at him for being so lame and taking so long and still failing to make Kyoko truly his, as implied suggestively by the mascot.

Well, the chicken will just have to excuse him, he thought a little defensively. He wasn't the one dating a difficult girl and dealing with a horrific father figure who were both rather handy with a knife.

Unfortunately, he hadn't found time to seek out the chicken. Because it was an anniversary episode, everyone was busy. Bo was also on the clock, so he couldn't interfere with his work.

A week ago, he and Kyoko were seated together in L.A. Hearts when Yashiro-san ran through the checklist of preferences for appearing on the TV Variety - an exception given only to VIP guests, which was pretty much every one on the show's guest list for the evening..

He agreed to have Bo screw around with him before curtain - something the show used to hype guests up. Ren had a great laugh when Bo played around with him before escorting him to the stage. He didn't talk though, because Bo, as he learned, spoke with a white board.

Apart from the usual interview, he had also agreed and signed up for one of the show's most popular segments, Cheers To Gluttony - the part where Bo would cook up things that the guest disliked and Ishibashi Hikaru-san would make them eat it. He wasn't really looking forward to it, but Kyoko dared him to when they talked about it. He remembered the indignation he felt when he accepted the challenge. She teased him that it was going to be easy because any food would do for him.

Now that he thought about it, there was something oddly familiar about the taste and manner of presentation of the food.

There were several more things that happened - a look back on the show's year, highlights, and more interviews with the other guests. After, Fuwa and Matsunai Ruriko performed their new single to be released on the following day.

Apart from sitting on the same stage during the interview part, Ren had little interaction with the singer, which suited him fine. Though a small prideful side of him wished that Kyoko was there so he could have rubbed in the singer's face that the treasure he once had and carelessly threw away was now his. Their dressing rooms were in opposite ends of the guests' hallway. He heard some crew members snickering about how hard it was to fit all these big egos in the same area at one time. Fuwa even refused interaction with the chicken and made a condition for appearing on the show. Something about the first time he was at show and how he and the chicken didn't get along, but Ren didn't listen much to what he heard.

Now that the show had ended, Ren cleaned himself up and prepared to head out, but he wasn't cleared to leave because there were still a lot of fans lingering outside the studio. Either way, Kyoko wouldn't be able to meet him until eleven at the TBM lobby because she would be coming from work.

"Where are you going?" Yashiro-san grimly asked just as he was about to move towards the door.

He couldn't very well tell him about the chicken because it would turn into a long discussion that would just waste time. "I'm just going to take a walk around," he sheepishly answered. "We've been cooped up in this dressing room all evening."

Yashiro-san started at him for a moment. "Fine, but don't cause problems. Don't go wandering around outside the studio or you'll be squashed by fans. Everyone's busy so you'll have to die alone."

"I won't," Ren promised before stepping out.

The hallways backstage were very busy as everyone hurried to finish their day. Props were being put away, costumes were being hung on portable racks - everyone was in a flurry of activity.

Tentekomai, Ren joked to himself.

"Excuse me," he approached a crew man who set down a box of props. "Do you know where I can find the chicken?"

"Bo-kun?" he replied. Then he pointed to the end of the hallway. "Make a right at the end. Bo ought to be at the end of the hallway. They're all sharing the dressing room tonight."

Ren gave his thanks and made his way to the room.

It was calmer and much more quiet in the main cast's hallway. Actually, it was quite isolated and makeshift, even temporary-looking considering the leftover props that littered the corridor. There was a little nook at the end of the hall with no door. It looked like the idol group gave up their dressing room to accommodate guests like Fuwa, Ruriko-chan, himself and several other popular celebrities for the episode. Even from a distance, he could hear them talking and laughing. As he neared, he heard grunting.

"Stop it, Hikaru-san, it hurts!"

Ren stopped. That was Kyoko's muffled voice.

"It's just too tight, Kyoko-chan. Give me a minute to loosen it up and it won't hurt as much," Ishibashi Hikaru-san said. "Please hold still and let me do this."

"Hurry up, you two," Ishibashi Shin'ichi-san said in a scolding tone. "Stop playing around. We need to assemble on the stage for pictures."

Ishibashi Yuusei-san laughed. "Maybe you're just getting fat, Kyoko-chan."

"Fat?"

Ren's anger started simmering as he stalked towards the end of the hallway.

Because he and Kyoko were so busy, the only time they spent together so far was when they were in LME together or late evenings after their work. He really didn't have much of an idea what Kyoko did in between which was obviously school and work. He always assumed that she stopped coming to TBM Studios because they didn't exactly keep their relationship a secret, not to close friends anyway. Anyway, he'd assumed that Ishibashi-san has given up inviting her over to Kimagure Rock because Kyoko was taken. They were supposed to her friends, damn it. He and the rest of the idol group who were just standing around watching whatever was happening. Ren never thought in a million years... with so many people around...

He reached the end of the hallway. There was no door so the first thing he saw was Bridge Rock with their backs turned to him. Then Ishibashi Hikaru-san stood up with a mascot head in his hands.

"She's not fat," the idol said matter-of-factly. "She's just been cooped up in the costume much longer than she's supposed to. And don't call her that! Her boyfriend's around and he may not like hearing that."

Ishibashi Yuusei-san crossed his arms and said, "That would be more convincing if she was showing herself in his dressing room rather than slumming here with us."

As the idol moved to put the chicken head on a nearby table, Ren felt his world stop as he found Kyoko in the chicken costume sinking down to sit on the floor, gasping and panting as one of the other Ishibashis held out a bottle of water to her mouth because her hands were still not freed from feathered costume. "You would think," she said with a breathy giggle in between sips from the straw, "that I'd be used to this after playing Bo for a year."

A year? Ren's hand clammed up and he was sure that blood drained from his face.

So that chicken from the hallway... That chicken who went to TV Japan just to talk to him... he thought as realization hit him. That chicken... was her?

"Well then," Hikaru-san said. "We'll leave you to get dressed-"

"What's going on here?" Ren demanded in outrage.

* * *

_11:15 PM_

Once the stage area was empty of fans and all the backstage work was done, pictures were taken on the stage - for press release, personal pictures, group shots. The producer made a long speech about everyone's good work for the year, handed out gifts from the sponsors and hyped everyone up for the second year.

When it was finished, Kyoko waved to the onii-sans. A lot of the crew were going to a party. She wanted to come along with the guys but she already committed the evening so she marched toward the spectator seats where Ren and Yashiro-san were waiting for her.

"Goo-good job tonight, Ren," she bowed low as the two men stood up. "Sorry I took so long."

"Nope, it's fine." Ren took the presents she was balancing in her arms, freeing one so they can walk hand-in-hand as Yashiro-san walked beside them towards the audience door.

"I'm really surprised, Kyoko-chan," Yashiro-san opened a topic she'd been dreading. "I didn't know you were part of the Kimagure Rock main cast."

She let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah... it would have been hard to know since I look nothing like Bo." She looked up at Ren nervously because she felt his hand twitch in hers. "I got the job as part of Love Me Section work a year ago."

As she and Yashiro-san continued talking, Kyoko noticed that Ren was being usually quiet, even if he was still affectionate. He didn't seem angry about it, but he didn't look too happy either.

"Well then," Yashiro-san stopped once they reached the main lobby door. "I will leave you guys here. Have fun on your day-off tomorrow." He turned around and waved as he bolted out the door. She and Ren waved him off until he disappeared into an awaiting taxi.

"Now then..." Ren turned to her and she stiffened in reaction.

"I'm really sorry for not telling you about Bo," she started bowing repeatedly in apology. "I didn't think you're be too happy to know that the person you confided in about love problems and acting was your kouhai and a newbie." Now she'd done it. Damn it, she berated herself. This was the first time since they started dating that they had the same day-off! She had planned to stay over his place so they could hang out all day tomorrow. The last time they did something like that was on their last day as Cain and Setsu. They would only spend time in LME and at some evenings, he would take her out, go to the Daruma-ya or his apartment. She didn't want to start their first day-off together with him angry. "I promise I never told anyone-"

She stopped mid-bow when he started laughing.

"Ren, you're not angry?" she asked as she raised her head and straightened up. He looked so stunned before in the hallway then just literally walked away. She was even sure he left TBM without her.

Ren was still sputtering as he wrapped an arm around her and led her to the elevators. "No," he answered. "Well, I was, but not as much as you think." He looked left and right before leaning down and pressing his lips on her forehead.

"What was that for?" her face heated up. They already talked about this random kissing thing! Especially since the President caught them once in an isolated private hallway and never let them forget it... Moko-san even shouted at them that the Love Me Section office wasn't a kissing booth... Even poor Yuusei-san looked like his innocent self was traumatized in the stairwell... And the taisho was his usual silent self, but scarier..., Kyoko thought as she pressed the button to go down..

"A thank you," he answered as he held the door for her when it opened as she stepped it and said, "It's just kind of funny about how things work out, don't they?"

"Well..." She wasn't about to stir a dying fire. "Since you put it that way..." At least he was feeling solicitous and was in a forgiving mood.

"Besides..." Ren wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "I have thought about it..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, not understanding the leading statement.

"Well," Ren moved his mouth to her ear and whispered in a tone that was totally different from his current demeanor. "It just so happens that the chicken happened to have suggested something that I had been thinking of doing for some time now."

"Like what?" She turned her gaze on him and froze at the sight of Ren's changing eyes as she found herself staring face-to-face with the Emperor of the Night. "You're not talking about going wild on me, break me apart and turn me into omurice, are you?"

"No," he laughed. "Don't you remember? You said something about how I should make the girl I love mine."

They were already going out, not for a long time yet, so he'd already done that. She couldn't think of what else there was to it. She loved him and he loved her - in essence, she was already _his_. Then her eyes widened and her face heated up as the Emperor of the Night leaned closer towards her. NOW she knew what he meant! "I-I didn't mean it that way!" she protested as she tried unsuccessfully to slide away. "Ren? Where are you...What are you...REN!"

* * *

**Chapter Notes:**

- Thanks for reading.


End file.
